


Winter's Warmth

by moonriver13



Category: Klaus (2019)
Genre: Banter, Blood and Violence, Cold Weather, Denial of Feelings, Explicit Language, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Friends to Lovers, Huddling For Warmth, Idiots in Love, M/M, Sarcasm, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-26
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:47:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 36
Words: 95,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24381526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonriver13/pseuds/moonriver13
Summary: "Alright, there you go again with your sarcastic bullshit. Be careful not to be too sentimental next time, though... Otherwise, you'll start to show you're not actually a jerk, but a nice guy, after all.""Oh, Your Highness, who said I was being sarcastic?"Jesper and Mogens have feelings for each other. One of them realizes it soon enough, but don't know how to handle the new situation, while the other one is just a slow idiot.
Relationships: Jesper Johanssen/Mogens
Comments: 51
Kudos: 95





	1. When the First Snowflake Falls

**Author's Note:**

> Hey :) a couple of warnings: this was my first fic ever and, although I revised each chapter, English is not my first language, so there are probably still some mistakes that I missed, but I hope it's good enough. Anyway, sorry in advance for possible weird sentences, paragraphs and random chapter lengths. Thanks for reading! Enjoy.

Jesper opened the door of the post office to find that his worst nightmare was finally there: the snow, and the start of winter itself. He arrived in Smeerensburg just in time for it too; so much for that _"heat wave"_ they were supposed to be having, according to Mogens, the ferryman who brought him to the island. The postman stood up the stairs and just looked at the view with sad eyes. Has it really only been a month since he arrived? It felt like forever, almost like time didn't passed properly in that godforsaken town. At that point, he was still having trouble with his job from the lack of letters and rudeness of the people. Also, he only had made one friend: Alva, the "school teacher", that was really making a living out of selling fish (because, for some reason, nobody cared about education in Smeerensburg).

 _"_ _Maybe Mogens too",_ he thought out loud, still trying to figured out what the guy truly thought of him. Jesper definitely knew by now what he thought of the ferryman: arrogant and impolite in a good measure; the most grinning and mockery bastard he has ever known. It was intriguing, though. Mogens would come every couple of days or so to check for any outgoing mail (even though it never really had any), mess with Jesper just for the laughs, and then he would leave. That was the only encounters they had so far, besides the ferry ride, so he wouldn't call him a friend. Surely not a friend.

Lost in thoughts, he spotted the man himself: Mogens, getting closer with that damn grin already. Jesper rolled his eyes while saying "it's goddamn early for this! Don't you have anything better to do?". Mogens stopped walking abruptly, tilted his head and gave an exaggerated sigh. Lifting his eyebrows and gesturing with his hands, he shot back "calm down, mister postman! Don't look so happy to see me, otherwise I'm gonna have to start coming here every day", the grin turning to a nice soft smile as he finished it off with a little wink.

Jesper crossed his arms and spoke up "you know there's not any outgoing mail, like the last thousand times you were here!". The postman looked kind of angry besides annoyed and Mogens soon noticed it hasn't been exactly because of him, particularly. "Are you okay there, bud?", he asked, quickly realizing what the real issue was, since Jesper started to blow on his hands and look around with a worried frown.

Mogens stepped closer and Jesper let out "I'm _not_ okay, I'm gonna die out here real soon...", aggressively crossing his arms again. Mogens gave a quick laugh "you're not gonna die, it's just a little snow, cheer up. I thought you got the post office all fixed up... And you have a proper fire now". Jesper looked at him with a quite upsetting expression "yes, everything's as good as it can get, but I can't take this temperature! I've never been in a place this cold for so long".

Mogens noticed how serious Jesper was being about the matter, so he tried to light up the mood "don't worry, sport. It won't be as bad as you think. Just don't be standing outside for no reason and you will be fine. Besides, you can always drop by the docks for a friendly visit", and he put a hand over his chest, making sure Jesper understood who he was referring to. Jesper gave a surprised huff, but soon narrowed his eyes, suspiciously "really?". Mogens quickly replied "but of course! I wouldn't let you freeze to death in case you can't handle lightning up a fire". Mogens patted the postman's back and completed "what kinda of friend would that make me?", giving a weirdly pleasant smirk.

Soon after, he started to walk away onto the same path he'd came from and Jesper yelled in his direction "I obviously know how to light up a fire, ferryman!". Mogens turned around, walked backwards for a bit and gave him a salute with his right hand "just in case, postman". Then, he resumed his walk.

Jesper simply stood there for a good minute reflecting upon what just happened. He soon realized he was smiling, getting to the conclusion that he, in fact, had made a total of _two_ actual friends on that damn island. For some reason, it felt good, sparkling a little warmth and joy inside of him, even on that chilly Smeerensburg's weather.


	2. The Tenderness of a Name

It was already late afternoon when Jesper saw Mogens coming to his meeting. "Postman! I know you miss me so, but you can wait for me inside. No need to catch snow in all of your hair". Getting closer, Mogens started to mess with Jesper's hair, in the attempts to draw some of the snow off. The postman didn't mind the act, and he just looked into the ferryman's eyes, tiredly "hey...". Mogens noticed he looked kinda of blue, quite literally, and wasn't sure if he was sad or just cold (or maybe it was both). "How we doin' today?", he then asked.

Jesper looked away from him, onto the horizon "same old, same old. Just colder by the day...", and started to blow on his hands. Mogens eyes went straight to Jesper's hands, which was actually on a concerning blue color "what are you doing out here without any gloves?!" he enquired, grabbing the postman's hands firmly for further inspection. Jesper was surprised by the touch, but let it happen. It felt warm and nice. Mogens gloves looked really decent for that weather, as a matter of fact.

"I don't have any gloves", Jesper explained in a faint whisper, looking at their hands together. _"What? Still?!"_ , he heard back. Quickly, Mogens began to rub Jesper's hands on his and continued on "you could actually lose your fingers if you keep up like this, ya know? Here, take mine", and he immediately started to take his gloves off.

Jesper soon expressed "wait, what about you? You don't need to do that, I'm fine...". He was not fine at all and the lack of Mogens' hands on his was already missed extremely. Why was he worried about the ferryman, anyway? He should just accept the kind offer and stay quiet.

He had no chance to deny it either way, since Mogens was already putting his gloves in Jesper's hands "I have another pair at the boathouse, don't worry about it. Looks good on you", and he smiled. Jesper was still confused, although really grateful. He struggled to say the words "thanks, Mogens. I really appreciate it"', breathing the cold air, heavily. Mogens' smile just grew a bunch "wow, I think that's the first time I hear you say my name". Jesper reflected for a moment, not really recollecting in his memory if he had said it before or not, but he affirmed "I'm sure I've said it before".

Their faces were really close to one another and Jesper felt really warm, but he pulled away soon enough and affirmed "you definitely never called _me_ by my name, just those weird pet names you probably call everyone". Mogens chuckled "oh, sweetheart, you think so low of me. I would never".

They looked at each other for a moment until Jesper mentioned "well, there's surprisingly _one_ outgoing mail today, so here you go", and he took a letter from his coat to give to the ferryman. "Alright then, that's a start", said Mogens, as he picked it up with his now bare and cold hands. He was preparing to walk away when he suggested "that friendly visit is always up, in case you're feeling a little blue, Jesper. Just consider it sometime".

The postman was startled by the sound of his name coming out Mogens' mouth "so we're starting to use our actual names now, are we?". Mogens scratched his chin, gave a little smile and looked at his gloves in Jesper's hands before focusing on his eyes "well, there's a first time to everything". And then, he went on his way, leaving Jesper with a mix of feelings he couldn't quite understand. Maybe he was happy to not be so alone, after all. It was good to make some friends, right? That was probably it.


	3. A Need of Someone

"Good morning, postman!", Mogens said as he got himself comfortable on the post office windowsill. Jesper lifted his head up the table and questioned the man with a scratchy voice "is it been two days _already?_ ". Pursing the lips, Mogens took his hat off and rested it on his lap "three, actually! I had to go to the mainland yesterday for some errands... I thought you would be counting the days for our next meet up, sweetcheeks! I'm kinda hurt", he said, swiping fake tears off his face.

Jesper sat up properly and asked, plainly "don't you ever get bored of this?", lifting his eyebrows up. "I'm never bored when I'm with you, believe me, being here is the high of my day", Mogens assured with the cheekiest smile. The postman thought on how much he wished he knew when Mogens was being sarcastic or not; these conversations never felt legit. Who knows what's been really going on inside the ferryman's head.

"Okay... Are we done now? There's no mail today and I really need to get back to work", Jesper said, already starting to sprawl his head on his arms onto the table again. Mogens laughed "yeah, you don't wanna miss the sleep part of the job. The most important part, in fact". Jesper, already comfortable enough, replied drily "well, look who's talking; you mostly sleep at your job too. You can't judge me".

Mogens noticed the postman already closing his eyes, so he quickly shot back "you got me there, bud. But you can wake me up at any time, I'll be happy to hear from you somewhere else other than this post office". Jesper opened his eyes again, "so we're _both_ useless, then! Great".

Scratching his chin after a small chuckle, Mogens spoke "I wouldn't called it like that. When there's work, there's work, amiright?". Jesper gave a solid sigh as he sat back up on his chair. He started tapping the table lightly and then scratching the surface "not for me, apparently. _Nobody needs me_ ; nobody needs a postman in this town", he pointed at the walls with a conflicted expression, "I don't know why this post office is even here in the first place".

Mogens looked serious for a moment and he expressed, softly "I'm sure you'll think of something". Hopping out of the window, he added "well, I'm off, then. See you soon, sweetheart", and after putting his hat back on and giving a little closed smile, he disappeared of sight.

Jesper felt that the abruptness of his departure was kind of odd that time. Mogens would sometimes stick around for much longer to play some cards or to tease him about feeling sorry for himself. Although, the postman didn't think much of it, since he was trying to figure it out what could he possibly do to make people want to send mail.


	4. Trick Question

Jesper was laughing so beautifully that Mogens couldn't help but stare. The sun was shining right in the blond man's face, making him look all glorious and glowy. Mogens gave a proud smile, since he was the one who had made that man laugh like that by one of his usual silly jokes. They were sitting so close, having a picnic at the beach and everything seemed perfect. The ferryman reached to lightly touch Jesper's face and, noticing how he didn't flinch, Mogens fully rested his palm on his cheek.

They look deep at each other's eyes and Jesper flicked to stare at Mogens lips a couple of times. Mogens went ahead and moved forward to kiss Jesper so softly, but so passionately. Their lips moved in a perfect synchrony, like they really belonged together. Mogens stroked the postman's hair and held his hand there, slipping his other hand to his chest, grabbing onto his undershirt. Jesper copped Mogens face with both of his hands and pulled away to breathe, but soon enough, not even opening his eyes in between, he returned to the kiss. But then... Mogens woke up.

The ferryman was _in love_. Plain and simple. And he knew about it too. It wasn't the first time he had a dream similar to that either and he didn't know exactly what to do about it. With the time passing, he became more and more sarcastic around Jesper; he knew that too. It was obvious for him in each conversation they had what he actually meant every time he opened his mouth. But what could he do? Jesper didn't like him like that; how could he? Mogens didn't have much to offer, besides, Jesper probably didn't even like men.

 _"But what about when he arrived smelling like a rose river, perfectly styled hair, even with that dreadful autumn wind, impeccable nails and, also, those damn silk sheets?"_ , the ferryman often wondered, _"in what world would a straight man be obsessed with such a thing.._.". But it was dangerous to point fingers, " _that's a huge assumption and quite stereotypical, Mogens, honestly. You're the absolute opposite of all of those things yourself and you're not exactly straight"_ , he reflected upon himself.

It wasn't love at first sight and Mogens treated Jesper as every other postman before him, always pulling tricks on him and making stupid jokes, like _"I will need a hand with the heavier bags"_ when he knew there wasn't even a single letter to be delivered in the mainland. He knew that the townspeople wasn't really interested in mailing and he could have his fun with all of those poor postmen. But, for some reason, Jesper wasn't like the others before him. He mainly looked sadder than scared after a while and Mogens noticed that he was starting to genuinely feel bad for the guy.

He would go to the post office every so often and catch Jesper with a blank stare and, sometimes, his eyes seemed a little red too (from crying, he presumed), although he would never bring it up. Instead, he would greet the postman with a grin and talk to him for a while, as usual, before leaving. He kind of made it a challenge for himself: to only leave after making Jesper express even the smallest sign of a smile.

After a few meetups like this, he actually caught Jesper crying this time around, as he made his usual visit to the post office. The man was not sobbing, but still, he was silent crying. Before Mogens could say anything, the postman saw him at the window and turned around, wiping his face fast. "Hey", he let out, with a rasped voice.

Mogens soon answered "Hey there, bud. Are you alright? What's wrong?". He felt concern creep up in his stomach. "Ah, it's not important", Jesper assured, trying to avoid looking at Mogens. "C'mon, talk to me. That's what friends are for, eh? Spill the beans", the ferryman lightly said, as he sat on the windowsill.

Jesper looked at him with thoughtful eyes and eventually made his way to stand next to the wall beside the window. "Okay... It's just that I don't know what to do with my life, and I never really did either, even before coming here. All I've done is fool around; never actually caring about anything. The thing is, now I have the time to think about all of this stuff and I'm not liking what I'm making of it". Mogens wasn't expecting such honesty from the man "goddamn, you hold your horses there.. Don't you like being a postman? What made you choose this job?". Jesper looked down "that's the thing, I _didn't_. I was sent here by my father, who's actually the headmaster of the Royal Postal Service. He literally _made_ me join the Academy".

Mogens looked surprised, but soon realized it all made sense. A spoiled and posh man on that island. He was, in fact, different from the others before him. He wasn't in it for the money. It was a test; a wake-up call from his father.

He moved to give Jesper a light punch on the shoulder "well... Since you're here, we can make the best of it, can't we?". Jesper faced him with a sad smile, then stared at the ground again "yeah... Sure". Silence filled the room, but it wasn't awkward; it felt nice, even.

"So, _royalty_ , eh?", Mogens teased, giving his usual smirk at Jesper, who then gave a sigh in return, looked up and rested his head on the wall. After a timid laugh, he vented "yes, but that doesn't mean anything anymore. _This_ right here is all I got now".

They chatted a bit more about Jesper's situation, that is, the mail quota he would have to reach to be able to leave Smeerensburg. Besides that, his delicate relationship with his father was also discussed, although very briefly. Mogens spoke "my folks live far away from here. It's been a while since the last time I saw them".

Jesper, who was now sitting at the windowsill besides Mogens, touched the man's knee lightly as he was saying "how come you ended up here? I'm sure there's better places to be a ferryman...". Mogens was looking for words and soon, he expressed himself "let's just say _life_ has brought me here. I needed a change of scenarios. Things weren't exactly peaches back home". It was rare to catch Mogens being serious and Jesper felt it was pleasant to hear something from him that wasn't so enigmatic.

However, Mogens joked right after "but I guess that's fate, eh? The universe brought me here to help your sorry ass. Honestly, Jesper, you're so lucky to have me. You should actually be joyful about all of this. I'm gracing your life with my presence, which is actually my true calling", with a smile that only grew bigger at each thing he added to his sentence.

By the time he finished, Jesper was rolling his eyes and getting back to his chair "alright, there you go again with your sarcastic bullshit. Be careful not to be too sentimental next time, though...". The postman was playing with a pen and then, he pointed the object towards Mogens, as he went on "otherwise, you'll start to show you're not actually a jerk, but a nice guy, after all", lifting his eyebrows and trying to held back a smile.

Mogens grinned, greatly "oh, Your Highness, who said I was being sarcastic?". Jesper quickly shouted since Mogens was already leaving "now, you see... That's a trick question! Was _that_ sarcasm? You're unbearable, ferryman!!!"


	5. The Mysterious Woodsman's Hill

Mogens was chilling inside of his boathouse, humming a little pleasant sound and playing his old guitar when he suddenly heard the words _"this is nice"_. As he turned around, he saw Jesper simply standing by the door with an amaze expression on his face. "Oh, come on in, postman!", Mogens said, putting his guitar aside.

Jesper closed the door behind him and made his way inside, leaning on the table across from where the ferryman was sitting. "I didn't know you played the guitar", he said. The ferryman adjusted himself on his chair to look directly at him "well, there's still a lot more you don't know about me, dearest"', smiling right before continuing, "so, what do I owe the pleasure of this lovely visit?". Jesper was looking around the place. He never actually been downstairs the boathouse before. It looked effortless neat, not much furniture or brightness, but cozy, nonetheless.

Eventually, he explained "oh, I just thought I'd drop by, you have invited me so many times already that it would be rude to ignore forever...". The postman soon started to walk around, touching everything, examining objects, taking books from shelves and looking at their titles, never putting anything back where they were. Mogens was observing his actions with a grin "are you trying to torment me now? I'll let you know I don't care if you mess all of my stuff up. So, that's quite a pointless revenge, I'd say".

Jesper was flipping through pages of a book when he stopped to focus on the ferryman again "are you plainly admitting to torment me almost every day for the past few weeks?". Mogens puckered his lips a bit before saying "at least is how you perceive it, isn't it? And yet, you love having me around. C'mon, I'm the real reason you still haven't left this island, just saying", and he put his hands up. Jesper placed the book where it actually was this time and enquired, lifting his eyebrows and crossing his arms "so, basically what you're saying is that I like being teased and tricked, is that it?".

Mogens gave a great laugh "each to their own guilty pleasures, amiright?". Jesper rolled his eyes, but couldn't help but let a unwanted short huff of air out his nose.

He walked in Mogens' direction, sitting on the chair by his side. The ferryman watched as Jesper took something from inside of his coat. It was a folded piece of paper. As the man started to unfold it, Mogens soon realized it was an old map of Smeerensburg, with a bunch of pen marks and scribbles.

"What's that for, then?", Mogens asked, helping to hold the map open. Jesper explained "I was kind of hoping you could help me with something. I went to all of these places thousands of times already and nothing", he pointed to spots on the map with black scratches. "And these are the places the people tried to kill me for simply showing up!", now pointing to a few spots with red crosses. "Now, there isn't a single place in this town I can do my job except here", and he pointed to a little circle in a small area, "that's where I got that only outgoing mail in a whole month of working here. And, that's it". Jesper kept explaining his routes and how he goes everywhere (except the places with red crosses) every single day, even when it's snowing, for absolutely no reason. Mogens was paying close attention, until he went in deep thoughts staring at the man's face, mesmerized by his beauty, at that point.

He soon got back to reality with a click of fingers on his face "are you still with me? 'Cause that's important". The postman was running his fingers through the outsides of the map now "I started to look on the further edges here and I noticed this path that goes all this way... What's up there?". Mogens replied fast, refocusing on the map "ah, yes! Yeah... That's the woodsman's place. Nice fellah. You should definitely go there; he really loves visitors", and he grinned.

Jesper narrowed his eyes, already refolding the map "why do I feel like you're messing with me?". Mogens faked an offended sigh "you don't trust me, sweetheart? I would never put your life in real danger, you must know that by now".

The postman put the map back inside of his coat and ran a hand through his hair, "what happened with using our actual names?". The ferryman looked down and smiled while nodding. He soon stared at Jesper's eyes and revealed "but what would be the fun in that? I figured I should mix it up a bit, you know, to keep the fire going". Jesper stared back for a few moments and sighed, trying to reflect about how someone could be like that all the time and never get tired of it.

As Jesper got up from the chair, already planning to make his way out the door, he promised "alright. If you're not gonna help me, I'll figured it out on my own". Mogens promptly got up and held Jesper's arm "hold on. I _will_ help you." He let go of the man and crossed his arms before continuing, "his name is Klaus, the man who lives up that hill, I mean. He's been living out there for a while now, so be respectful. He's not used to strangers showing up out of the blue". Jesper turned all the way back to face Mogens and asked "so he's not gonna try to kill me?". Mogens scratched the back of his head "I can't vouch for that, dear. It depends on what you do out there, I'd say". The postman just hummed in response and he soon started to bite his lips with a worried look, apparently thinking hard about the situation.

The ferryman interrupted his thoughts "hey, I could go out there with you, if you want me to. That is, if you're too scared to go all alone". The postman looked at the door and then back at him "I'm not scared", he assured, while scratching his face. Mogens glared at him and grinned while nodding, not making much effort in pretending he believed that. Then, he said with the softest expression "it's not a problem, Jesper. We could go there tomorrow, if you want". He cleared his throat and went on "just ask me nicely, though, and I might agree to it". He soon proceeded to give his remarkable wink. The postman looked serious and a little skeptical, but he gave in "okay... Mogens, can you go with me to Klaus' house tomorrow? Please?". The ferryman had a huge smile on his face when he answered "ah, but of course! How could I refuse you? It's a date then, sweetcheeks". Jesper shook his head negatively, but curled up his lip a bunch as he headed to the door.

Before leaving, he pointed his finger to Mogens "7 a.m. Don't be late", and left. Walking through town on his way back to the post office, Jesper noticed how much he already missed chatting with the ferryman. It wasn't the same feeling he had after seeing Alva, though.

He came to the conclusion that he, in fact, truly liked the guy and maybe they could actually turn out to be good friends. Rethinking their conversation, the postman talked to himself as he grimace "God, maybe I _do_ like being teased", smiling and huffing right after, as he stepped up his pace, listening to the enjoyable scrunch of the snow under his boots.


	6. A Short Visit

"Well, well, well... Look who's late, sweetheart. I expected more punctuality from a postman, if I'm being honest with ya". Jesper opened his eyes and caught Mogens standing by his bed and staring back at him. His heart skipped a beat "holy _shit!_ You scared _the crap_ out of me!", he screamed before scratching his eyes and moving to a sitting position on the bed, "how did you even get in?!".

The ferryman sat by his side "you didn't lock your window... You're scared by a guy on a hill, but you can get murdered easily at any time right here by some random Ellingboe or Krum. That's hilarious". It was true, both sides of the town's clans already tried to kill Jesper in his mailing routes, but he never considered that some of them could actually try and break in. "I don't think the window lock even works properly", he informed while standing up to get dressed, bumping legs with the man.

Mogens was glancing at him for a bit, but he quickly rubbed the back of his head and went to look out the window. "It seems the snow is getting heavy real fast this year. I gotta tell ya, it's looking to be worse than last year". Jesper was finishing tying up his boots "great, that's exactly what I wanted to hear right before going to the middle of nowhere to meet up with a most likely axe murderer. He can kill us both and just wait for the snow itself to bury our bodies". The ferryman laughed and looked at him with bright eyes "you're being quite the funny man today, aren't 'cha? I'm glad to see it".

Jesper was putting his scarf on when he went to stand by the window next to Mogens "I'm serious... I wanna see you being _glad_ when we're laying in the snow waiting for the swing of an axe". Mogens noticed the thin cold air leaving Jesper's mouth and how his eyes looked even more blue, like the depths of the ocean, in that cool morning light. "It would be an honor to die by your side, postman", he assured with a grin. Jesper smiled subtly, tapped Mogens on the shoulder and turned around "okay, then. Let's get going".

It took them almost forty minutes to get to the mysterious man's cabin and they were already freezing once they saw the chimney's smoke. As they got out of the carriage, Jesper spotted the large and white bearded man chopping wood, so he soon made his approach.

Carefully, he spoke, a little louder than usual "good morning, mister. I would like to introduce myself. You see, I'm the new postman in town...", and he pointed to his bag. Starting to get a little nervous, since he noticed the man's grip on the axe getting firmer, the postman mumbled "I was just hoping you had some mail to send, that's all, sir".

The man approached him with a murderous look on his face and simply demanded "leave!". Jesper swallowed dry and kept his mouth half open while looking at him. "I-I mean...". He started to say a few words, but nothing would come out clear enough.

Soon after, Mogens showed up behind them "Klaus! My friend, don't be scaring the new postman now". Jesper looked at him with the most chocked expression. "Are you two _f_ _riends?!_ ", he questioned while the two men hugged each other. Klaus said to Mogens "what are you doing here so soon? I wasn't expecting you until the end of next week". More confused than ever, Jesper didn't knew what to say anymore so instead, he just listened as Mogens' answered "I'll be back next week with your monthly supplies, don't you worry. I'm actually here to introduce you to our new beloved postman here". The ferryman gave Jesper a wide smile and pulled him close.

As he wrapped his arm around the postman's shoulder and squeezed him gently, Klaus dropped his axe on the ground and stared at them with a frown expression, before saying "let's get out of the cold. I have a fire going inside".

As the bearded man went in front, Jesper quickly whispered to Mogens, who was still inches away from his face "why didn't you tell me you were _friends_?!". Mogens faced him and said, looking deeply into his eyes "oh, I'm sorry, dear. I guess you still haven't got used to surprises around me, eh?", and he smirked. Jesper gave him an angry look and went in front to the entrance of the cabin, complaining in a low tone "you're unbelievable...".

When inside, Klaus put more wood into the fire as he chatted with Mogens. Jesper, on the other hand, started to look around the cabin. He noticed a lot of work has been put into the place to make it nice (fancy even!) and of course, warm and cozy. It was a big cabin for only one man and he wondered if Klaus actually lived there all by himself.

The two men were talking and looking at him from time to time. He was apprehensive of Mogens speaking about him, but he didn't disturb them, nonetheless. Instead, he only listened to bits and pieces of their whisperers, _"all those years ago..."_ , _"you can always talk to me about it..."_.

It was obviously private, so he stopped trying to make sense of it and continued to look around, until he found a huge room full of tools, work desks, sample drawings and... Toys. So many to even count! There were plenty of different types of wood dolls, animals of all sorts, cars, little houses and boats. He found himself smiling while he picked a frog and pulled his rope, since it started to frenetically jump around.

Suddenly, Mogens appeared behind him and handed him a cup of coffee, "incredible, isn't it?". Jesper nodded and accepted the drink "why does he have all of this? Does he have like a bunch of kids or something?". The ferryman swallowed, diverging his eyes "it's kind of a long story. For now, you go talk to him. He called for you".

Once back in the living room, Jesper noticed Klaus sitting by the fire with his own drink. "Go on", Mogens motioned for him to sit on the chair at the man's side. As he sat down, Jesper talked "look, sir. I apologize, I didn't mean to intrude, I just...". He was abruptly interrupted, "spare me of your explanations. I will just tell you this once, son. I don't know anyone whose I would send mail to. I was kind enough to offer you some warmth in this winter day, so you may finish your coffee and get on your way shortly, yes?". The large man didn't seem angry, but tired and unhappy.

Jesper looked at Mogens, who were standing by a wall quietly drinking his coffee. He looked back at the fire and contemplated his life choices while finishing his drink in silence himself. For that moment, the only sounds in the room were the crackling fire and the howling of the wind from outside.

They soon left the cabin without saying any extra words to Klaus. He thought about apologizing once more, but he figured it wouldn't be as appreciated as a silent departure. Back at the carriage, Jesper asked Mogens "what did you say to him about me? What happened years ago?". The ferryman was careful with his words "Jesper... You should try some place else. Klaus, he's...", Mogens scratched his head, "he's not who you're looking for, let's just say that".

Not pleased with that, Jesper asked again, "what did you tell him? What did he say, exactly?". The other man was really struggling to put a sentence together that would make the postman understand. "I just told him about your situation, but I'm afraid there's nothing he can do for you. I'm sorry, Jes. It is what it is", said Mogens, as he tapped Jesper's leg, lightly.

 _"Jes"_ , the postman thought. That was a nickname he hasn’t heard in _years_. The only person that ever called him Jes in his life was his mother. She had died of pneumonia when he was only eight years old. It felt nice to hear it again and, for some reason, listening to that nickname through Mogens' voice sparked something inside of him that he couldn't quite put into words.

He felt as warm as he had felt in the cabin's fire just a few minutes ago. The postman chose not to make any remarks on it, knowing very well how the ferryman would probably tease him about it and, also, he was kind of hoping that he would call him Jes again in the future.


	7. Secrets

As Jesper stared at his Smeerensburg map for a solid twenty minutes straight with his hands over his temples, he abruptly got startled by the hanging door bell. Looking up, he exclaimed "Alva! It's been a while... How are you?". The school teacher entered the post office and rapidly closed the door behind her " _God_ , this weather today! I almost lost my hat on my way over here. I’m still alive, though”. Sitting down, she put a pot over the table between them “I made us some nice chicken soup". The postman smiled at her "thanks, you're the best, really".

Jesper usually bought his food, since he didn't know how to cook much, however, lately, he's been trying out some of Alva's recipes. He figured he should start learning something useful and, besides, he decided to keep unnecessary expenses at the minimum. He still got paid for his job, nonetheless, but he had already spent a good amount of money fixing the post office holes and everything else that needed attention, especially with winter right around the corner. At least, he got a decent pair of gloves for free, thanks to Mogens.

They soon started sharing the meal while chatting. Alva vented "I can't _stand_ the smell of fish anymore. My God, I will leave this place the day I hit my money goal, I swear. I can’t wait to start truly living again, and _teaching!_ Ah…". Jesper had been listening to her complaints every single time she would drop by, but he couldn't blame her; he did exactly the same. "I wonder who's gonna get to leave first", Jesper joked, as if it weren't already obvious that he was so much further behind on his mailing goal.

She asked him "how's it going around here? Any more mail besides that one letter?". Jesper grunted and sat further back on his chair "things aren't looking too good, sadly. I even went to some lonely dude's cabin in the middle of the woods and he wasn't so happy to see me, let me tell you", and he gave a hollow laugh.

Alva dropped her spoon on her plate and gave a huge distressed and scared look at the postman. "You did... _What?!_ You went all that way to see that… _Man_ , and all by yourself?!", she was raising her voice at each word and, soon enough, she covered her mouth, staring at the blond man with wide eyes.

Jesper frowned and explained "no, I went with Mogens… And he was fine about it. What's the matter? Do you know Klaus?". She began to whisper curses while standing up fast, banging her hands on the table "do you have a _death wish_ or something?! Haven't you heard the _rumors_? And Mogens went with it, of course!". Jesper was getting worried as he demanded "tell me what's going on! What's the problem?".

Alva sat back down, crossed her arms and slowly spoke with a low voice, like if the walls could hear them "that man... He lives there alone because he killed his wife and buried her body in those woods!". Jesper immediately remembered the _axe murderer_ comment he made with Mogens right before they left the post office for the woods and felt sick to his stomach about the possibility of his assumption being true. Furthermore, Mogens must've known about it too and _still_ let him get close to that frightening man.

"H-how can you be certain of this? Who said that?!", his heart was racing and he felt dizzy. "Everyone says so, Jesper! It must be true. You have to remember we are relatively new here. The townspeople knows best about these stuff. And since when are you hanging out and listening to that drunk ferryman? What are you doing? He'll eventually get you killed, you hear me?!". Alva was so upset that she was shaking and her eyes started to water.

Jesper didn't know what else to think, so he tried to organize his thoughts "Mogens didn't want to talk about that man's story... But he still went there _with me;_ is not like he sent me there alone to die. How do you explain that?". Alva was shaking her head "I don't know, he's crazy! You can't ever listen to him again if you wanna survive out here". Jesper felt his heart hurt a little by the thought of avoiding Mogens. They were friends, after all. "I need to ask him about this", he said with determination.

Alva was laughing hysterically "he's not to be trusted, haven't you heard _anything_ I said? People say some odd things about him too". Jesper was starting to get annoyed, so he got up his chair and tossed his arms up "so we're validating everyone's gossip now, without even giving people the chance to explain themselves?".

She was already closing her soup pot, preparing to leave "ok, you do what you want, Jesper. I made my part in letting you know. Just don't come haunt me when you're _dead!_ ". She made her way to the door and with her hand on the handle, she expressed "I thought you despised the ferryman. What happened to you? Sometimes, you have to stick with your gut!".

The postman wanted to answer _"I got to know him better"_ , but Alva had already left the post office. He was really conflicted about everything he had just learned; besides, he couldn't help but wonder what the gossip around Mogens was.

 _"People just talk too much. It’s probably all bullshit, anyways"_ , he thought to himself, as he grabbed his scarf and headed to the docks.


	8. Unveiling

On his way to the boathouse, Jesper tried to think on how he should address the situation lightly. He was almost certain that the ferryman had a reasonable explanation for all of it, but Alva’s voice was creeping up the back of his head through the whole way there. Getting closer to the docks, he spotted Mogens leaving the nearest tavern. He soon wished the man weren’t too drunk for their conversation. The ferryman was heading towards his boathouse, so Jesper sped up his pace and called for him just as he walked to the wooden path "hey, ferryman!". Mogens turned to the voice behind him and was astonished to see Jesper there, even more so when the sun was already setting in the sky, "ah, good evening, postman. Are you starting to give me surprise visits now? That's lovely".

Jesper noticed the grin already making an appearance in the man's face and he couldn't quite tell if he was drunk or not. He was being as he always was, in fact, what would be like to see him drunk? _“Not too much different”_ , he imagined. Mogens looked quite happy and Jesper realized he didn't want to wipe that grin off his face this time, but he was there for a reason: he needed _answers_. Therefore, he clarified "you got a minute? We need to talk about something".

Mogens' grin suddenly disappeared and he wrinkled his eyebrows "alright... You wanna chat inside?", he suggested, as he pointed to the boathouse. Jesper nodded and went in front, trying to keep a neutral face.

When inside the place, Mogens crossed his arms and sat down, watching Jesper pacing back and forth, biting his nails. The ferryman huffed and questioned "damn, did you see a _ghost_ or something?". Jesper just frowned his forehead and nodded a " _no_ ", continuing with the pacing. "Did someone break in the post office?!", Mogens asked, already standing up rapidly to held Jesper's shoulders, making him stop moving.

Looking all over his body and then at his face, Mogens enquired in quite the despair "are you hurt?!". Jesper assured "no! Nobody tried to kill me... Yet. I'm fine for now", and he stepped back. Mogens lowered his arms "who's trying to kill you?". The postman leaned on the table behind him and sighed, evaluating that he should just ask without any more hesitation. Making it simple and direct, he said "did you know that Klaus was an actual _axe murderer_ that killed his wife when you took me there?".

Mogens gave a staggered look to him and after a few seconds, he spoke " _oh_ , Jesper...". The man was looking for words to try and explain everything "he's not-", but he got interrupted by Jesper, who came in his direction and aggressively pointed his finger on the man’s chest, speaking louder than before "you said you wouldn't put my life in real danger _ever_ , remember that?!", and he raised his eyebrows while nodding. Mogens soon grabbed his hand, but kept holding it over his chest " _calm down!_ Let me talk. He's not an axe murderer, I was there when his wife died, okay?".

Jesper was at loss with those words and he just stare at the ferryman's eyes, who continued "she got sick. They never had any kids and now he lives there alone in the cabin he built for them". The postman swallowed dry and felt his heart ache "but what about all those _toys?_ ".

Looking down, Mogens noticed he was still holding Jesper's hand and, seeing the other man noticing the same, he slowly let it go. Jesper was staring at him as he continued talking "he really doesn't know anyone else? I thought he was just trying to get rid of me". Mogens averted his attention to his own hands and started to mess with one another "he built all that as a gift for their future children, but his wife couldn't get through any pregnancy. She had a good deal of miscarriages, since they tried many times over the years. In the end, her body couldn't stand it and Klaus… Blames himself".

They were quiet for a while, until Mogens faced him and spoke again "you actually thought I took you there to get _killed?_ ". He looked serious and upset too; such an unusual look for the ferryman.

Jesper rubbed a hand over his face before apologizing "I'm-, I'm sorry, Mogens. I didn't know what else to think. Alva heard rumors... I know this is no excuse. But I trust you, I really do". The ferryman wasn't facing him anymore, but looking down again and Jesper felt tense. He didn't know why it was so important to make Mogens believe his words, but he insisted once more, "hey... I trust you", as he lowered his head to try and catch Mogens’ eyes back to his.

The man finally looked up and met his glance. Mogens said "I know that sometimes I'm difficult to... _Understand_ , but... I'm not a bad person, Jesper. That's just the way I am". The postman touched the man's shoulder "I know that. And I'm okay with it". The ferryman peeked at Jesper's hand on him and then focused on his face again, while giving a small and closed half up smile "alright, then".

Mogens soon let out a sound of relief as he took a deep breath "look what you do to me, postman! You're making me too sentimental for my liking, I'm not used to this", and swiftly gave a chuckle. "Ah, come here", said Jesper, pulling him close for a hug. The ferryman froze for a moment, but soon wrapped his arms around the other man.

They stayed like that for a little too long. Jesper was stroking Mogens' back lightly while Mogens had his face rested on Jesper's neck as he breathed him in. He noticed the postman didn't have that strong rose river aroma anymore, like the day he arrived. Instead, he had a _rustic_ smell, like the post office, mixed with a unique and pleasing scent, his own _natural_ scent, which was so much better than roses.

\--

It took a while for Jesper to fall asleep that night. His brain was racing in thoughts inside of his head and he couldn't fully relax. He recognized he almost had lost Mogens' friendship over something so foolish and he knew he wouldn't bare such a thing. He rolled at his bed multiple times as his mind kept recollecting memories of the times they had spent together. He remembered of when he first arrived; Mogens showing him around, pulling pranks out of the clans’ expenses on him, like that “ _reception bell_ ” bullshit. The man literally had made him ring the town’s battle bell and just sat back to watch war unfold. Meanwhile, Jesper was almost pissing his pants. He really used to _despise_ the guy; he knew Alva was right.

Jesper soon started to think about the ferryman’s stupid jokes and the teasing moments, the times they played chess or cards all afternoon when neither of them had any work to do, the particular day Mogens had managed to keep a straight face while telling a story about the night he spotted a _mermaid_ at the sea, almost making Jesper truly believe it, if he hadn't broken down laughing as he started to talk about her bewitched singing. He thought about the time when Mogens poured down pure honey onto his hand when he was asleep at his table and proceed to scratch his face with a feather. That was still pretty recent and he recalled the exact words Mogens said to him as he cursed the man with every name he could think of _“a man literally so sweet speaking such sour words. Amusing!”_ , while giving a great tearful laugh.

Then, with all of that, Jesper thought about how _good_ that man makes him feel, in a way he never truly felt before with another guy, and how beautiful his smiles and laughs looked in his face. Beyond that, how those captivating eyes and usual remarks he does has the capacity of pushing away all loneliness and miserable feelings Jesper still experiences on that awful and cold island.

He started thinking about that day Mogens gave away his gloves without any hesitation, and then, about that hug they shared just a few hours back and how it gave him _butterflies_ in his stomach and... Jesper sat on the bed in a rush. His heart was beating _so fast_ and _so loud_ that he could hear it in that dark and silent night.

" _Oh, shit!_ ", he spoke out loud, before laying back down. Looking up at the hole patches on the ceiling, he pondered about his feelings, his formerly _disguised_ feelings, and he acknowledged to himself that he, as a matter of fact, had _fallen in love_ with Mogens, the ferryman.


	9. Children's Happiness

Sitting on his chair and looking at the post office windowsill, Jesper couldn’t help but think about that _damn_ ferryman. Giving a deep sigh, he put his head over his arms and sank into the table, uncertain on what to do, not only regarding Mogens, but also about his mail quota problem. He was having trouble thinking properly in that space, so he decided to head out town, get some fresh air and maybe buy some supplies. He was getting low on food, anyway.

Jesper was walking through the streets when a piece of paper flew directly into his face. As he picked it up, he noticed it was a kid’s drawing. _“Hey, sir?”_ , he soon heard. Looking around, he didn’t saw anyone, and the voice talked again _“up here!”_. It was a little boy on the second-floor window of a very creepy old house. Jesper got closer and asked, holding up the drawing “is this yours?”, and the kid assured “yes, I just drew that, but it flew out the window. Can you give it back to me?”.

He was cold and the food shop was right around the corner, therefore, he started saying “look, kid, I’m- “, but his mouth went shut as his eyes landed on the house mailbox. He was frowning his forehead, thinking hard, when he got interrupted, _“sir?”_. The postman gave a small laugh and folded the drawing before answering “you see, kid, I’m a postman. I can’t just _give it_ to you, but I could _mail it_ to you!”. The kid looked confused “how?”.

With a subtle and smug grin, Jesper put the drawing inside an envelope he had in his bag, rested an arm on the mailbox and explained “it’s simple, really. You just need to toss a penny over to me, so I can stamp the letter and put it right here in your mailbox!”, and he gave a huge smile as he pointed to the mailbox with the tip of the envelope. “But I don’t have a penny”, the kid said with a sad face, but all of the sudden, Jesper noticed his eyes tracking someone else outside and a little smile appearing.

The kid shouted “dad! Can you give a penny to this man so he can mail my drawing back to me?”. Jesper went completely still, just turning his head to see a very tall man approaching with two large dogs on the same street he was in. “Ah! Wrong address, silly me. Kids never know what they’re talking about, right?”, Jesper joked, giving an obvious concerning laugh. He realized the man was letting go of the dog’s leashes and before he knew, he was already running away as fast as he could.

When he sat back on his chair at the post office, he was still heavy breathing and thought he would pass out. _“Goddammit!”_ , he shouted at himself while tossing the envelope on the table. He saw a piece of the drawing sticking out, so he took it off the envelope and opened it to give a proper look. That little boy had drawn himself with a really gloomy expression, trapped inside his room at that old house.

 _“Poor kid”_ , he thought. Jesper came to the conclusion that he, in fact, had never seen a kid's happy smile on the island; they all looked miserable, each to their own, never mixing clans to play, mostly playing by themselves and never with any toys, actually, just with wooden planks or other different objects that were way too dangerous for children in the first place, like pointed spears and iron chains. Apart from that, Jesper had seen some kids building snowmen before, but even then, they looked dead inside.

As he contemplated the drawing, he thought about all of those toys back at the woodsman's cabin, just standing there getting dust, when there was a bunch of children in town that would _love_ to have them. He looked at the envelope again and gasped, getting up from his chair in a hurry. _“That’s perfect!”_ , he said to himself as he left the post office.

In an instant, he was back at the woodsman's cabin, that is, as fast as his horse could go. After a deep breath, he knocked on the door and Klaus opened it shortly. As soon as he saw Jesper’s face, the man wrinkled his eyebrows and said, with a threatening tone “I thought I had made myself clear. I don’t need your services”, and started closing the door again, without giving any chance for the postman to explain the motive of his visit that time.

In a fast movement, Jesper held the door with his hand and countered “maybe you do, but just doesn’t know it yet! Please, let me come in. Just for five minutes?”. The woodsman pondered for a moment and with a sigh, he opened the door all the way, “ _five_ minutes. And then you will leave”. Nodding at that, Jesper made his way inside the cabin.

Klaus sat on his usual chair by the fire and pointed to the chair by his side as he said, concisely “sit”. Jesper was a little nervous, but followed his command. Opening his bag, he gave the envelope with the kid’s drawing to Klaus. The large man had an impartial face from the moment he got the envelope until he saw the picture. “What is this?”, he asked. Jesper felt his mouth getting dry, but he breathed calmly before saying “don’t you think this little boy could be, I don't know... Happier? I mean, look at him. He’s trapped and without anyone or anything to play with...”.

The man looked one more time, but quickly put it back inside the envelope “what is the point of this?”. The postman scratched his face “I just thought of how there’s kids out there with nothing to play with, and... All of those toys you have back there, hum... Do you see what I mean?”.

Jesper was starting to sweat badly at that point, making it obvious he was trying to fake being confident and he knew the man probably noticed it too. Klaus stood up and informed “your five minutes are up”, and handled the envelope back. Jesper’s stubbornness was bigger than his fear at that instant and, without hesitation, he stood from his chair, picked the envelope up and implored “please, sir. What do you have to lose? You don’t have any use for those toys. You would only have gains, in fact: _children’s happiness!_ I could get the request letters from them and deliver it to you, no problem”.

The large man gave a negative nod and expressed “I see. So, _you_ would have something to gain, you mean?”. Jesper mumbled words, trying to explain himself “that-, that’s not what I said, exactly... The children! They would-“. The man put his hands on Jesper’s shoulders and began to lead him to the door “I’m not interested in your schemes. Leave, now!”.

Jesper felt a hush of courage running through his whole body, so he held the door shut and said, clearly and with determination “I know what happened to you”. Klaus took his hand off Jesper and just looked at his face, speechless. The postman went on “I know all about it and _I’m sorry_. I really am sorry. Nobody should suffer like you did, like... Your wife did. This is a sad and cold place to live in, you must know that. There’s a lot of children that could use some moments of joy and you could make that happen for them. You have the power to make them smile and laugh, for once in their lives!”.

He put the envelope on a little table close to the door and finished “you have that power. Just think about it”, before opening the door himself and leaving the cabin without looking back.


	10. A Postman's Irresistible Charm

It was a sunless afternoon, the coldest one yet, but Jesper was getting himself occupied by organizing his workplace. The day before, he managed to go out and actually buy some food, besides also visiting that part of town where he got his first (and only) mail from. The postman was surprised to see that there was _more mail_ to be send, although not a letter this time around, but a small and heavy box. _“Honey pots”_ , the woman had said, _“for my daughter who lives in the mainland. Be careful with those!”_. The last thing he wanted was to break his only customer's package and get back to square one.

He was stamping the honey box when Mogens appeared at the window and shout “you’re a persistent and stubborn little rascal, ‘you know that?”. Jesper glanced at him, muddled by his words “hello to you too, ferryman. What are you even saying?”, he frowned and got back to his task. The man jumped inside the post office and got really close to Jesper's face “you got me in a good deal of trouble with that big mouth of yours”, he alleged, while glimpsing at Jesper’s lips one time, swiftly.

The postman focused his attention at the man’s eyes and felt his heart beating faster. He swallowed before faintly saying “ _what?_ ”. Mogens went to sit on the main chair and, after letting out an audible sigh, he explained “you told Klaus what I said to you! He wasn’t so happy about that; now he thinks I tell everyone about his personal life”. Jesper leaned on the table and crossed his arms “maybe you should! It would stop those awful rumors people say about him”.

Mogens tossed his hat beside the box at the table and stare at him “you don’t get it, do you? Friends don’t go around telling their friends’ whole life stories to curious random people, when is none of their _goddamn_ business!”. He nodded negatively and continued “and besides, people wouldn’t believe me, anyways”. Jesper couldn’t help but wonder if people wouldn’t believe because of his own mysterious gossip, whatever that was, but he decided to not bring that up at that moment; Mogens already looked annoyed enough. Instead, he said “look, I’m sorry, Mogens, but I had to try. You said it yourself _I would think of something_! You probably know why I went there, right? Have you seen how miserable the kids around here look? Klaus’ own kids couldn’t enjoy his presents, but other children can”.

Mogens got up the chair with sudden distress in his eyes and stood up in front of Jesper again “but this got nothin’ to do with those kids, _is there?_ ”. The ferryman looked outraged now and before Jesper could say a word, the man went on “this is about _your_ personal mail quota, isn’t it? So you can leave…", he paused, but went on a second later " _us,_ as fast as possible?!”. Jesper felt a tight in his chest. He didn’t know how to answer that, since neither did himself thought about that all the way through. “Can’t it be both?”, he decided to say, brushing off his feelings for Mogens from his mind. The ferryman looked at the table and them at Jesper’s eyes in a distant manner “I guess so”.

He soon put his hat back on, grabbed the box and asked, plainly “is this outgoing mail?”. Jesper nodded and Mogens made his way to leave through the front door. But before he left, he expressed, although hesitant “I don’t know what else you said to Klaus, but… He wants to see you. Midnight. He asked me to let you know”. The postman lifted his eyebrows, confused “what, _really?_ ”, “yeah… Maybe it was your irresistible charm”, Mogens shot back, drily. “I’ll see you”, he finished before he left.

Jesper wasn’t sure about what to think. Was Mogens _upset_ he wanted to leave? That was unlikely. He was his friend; he should be happy about his accomplishments, like he was with Alva's. The postman recalled things weren’t looking great with her, either; he had to make amends, somehow. Jesper truly valued her friendship and all the help she offered him since he came to Smeerensburg.

Thinking back about Mogens, maybe the ferryman thought he was a bad person for wanting to benefit from the situation and that he didn't actually cared about the children. That was probably it. Jesper knew his main goal was himself, but who could blame him? It was the perfect opportunity for him to get back to his old life, where he would... Do nothing, really. Was he getting second thoughts about leaving the island? Back home was definitely better, “ _no doubt!_ ”, he said out loud. Jesper reflected for a moment: back home… The weather wasn't awfully cold and he didn’t have any actual work to do; he had a butler and silk sheets and... No love (no Mogens) or any real friends, for the matter.

“ _What am I even thinking!_ ”, he pondered. He had no love in Smeerensburg either, not precisely. Maybe friendly love and obviously from Alva only; she did seemed to genuinely care about him. But Mogens? What was he supposed to do? That ferryman was a puzzle work and most likely just have been putting up with Jesper all that time because he didn’t have any other friends himself to mess around with, besides that reclusive bearded man up in the hill.

Now that Jesper knew about his feelings for Mogens, he started thinking about the amount of flirtation that man had made already... Or was that just another typical _“Mogens thing”_? He _definitely_ behaved the same with other people, _“stop kidding yourself”_ , Jesper lamented. At the end, he realized it was for his best interest to simply get his mail quota over and done with so he could leave that damn island and never come back.

\--

That night, he headed to Klaus’ cabin and, by the time he got there, he was freezing. Why does that man needed to see him at _that_ time? At least during the day, it was a little warmer, but he couldn't complain. Klaus wanted to speak with him and that was good enough. He just hoped that the man had changed his mind about giving away the children's toys. And he was absolutely right! As soon as Jesper got there, he saw Klaus waiting for him outside with a present in his hands.

"What's inside the box?", he asked as he got close enough. The large man had a serious look on his face and just let out, plainly "let's go", making his way to the postman's carriage.

Klaus was occupying almost both seats and Jesper was now crushed, besides cold. He asked through the discomfort "so... Do you mind saying where we're going?". The man, still facing forwards, spoke calmly "that drawing. Take me to that house". Jesper smiled a bit "okay. You wish is my command".

As they got there, the postman soon spotted the two dogs in the front yard. He questioned "how are we supposed to give this to the kid?", pointing to the present. He noticed that it was too big for their mailbox.

Without giving Jesper much time to think, Klaus was already pushing him to the front gate’s direction and putting his hands together for the postman to hop on. Jesper gave a concern laugh "you want me to _climb_ this gate? And then what, the house too?!". The man was direct and firm "yes".

Jesper nodded, scratching his face "okay... That's not gonna happen, ‘cause-". Before he knew, Klaus was grabbing his legs and giving him an impulse, making him end up at the top of the gate in a fast second. Right after that, Klaus tossed him the present and Jesper barely managed to catch it.

"You're _crazy!_ What if his father sees me?!", he tried to shout, but whispered instead. The large man let him know "be quick. I'll wait", and the postman just rolled his eyes.

Seeing he had no other alternative, he jumped down inside, hoping that the dogs haven't heard him yet. He fast walked to the house and began to examine the wall. He was still thinking about how he was going to do it with a present in his hands when the dogs started barking. With that, Jesper immediately started to climb, in a great deal of panic. The dogs were already right below him, so he held as tight as he could at the wall and tried not to piss his pants.

Gasping, he reached the boy's window and, soon enough, he was inside of the room. He heard the father shouting outside with the dogs as he quickly put the present on the floor next to the bed. Jesper got back out the window, trying really hard not to wake the kid up with all the noise, avoiding to be seen by the tall man with fuming dogs. He closed the window and just sat there, looking down at the father petting the dogs and looking around. He noticed Klaus was nowhere to be seen at the front gate.

Suddenly, the light in the room lit up and he prayed that the kid didn't came to the window; there was no way he could get down yet. Looking between the curtain's gap, he watched as the boy opened the mysterious box. It was that same frog he had seen closely at the cabin. As the frog started to jump around, the kid's eyes went bright with joy and he gave the biggest smile Jesper had ever seen in a child. He started playing with the frog and the postman realized _he_ was also smiling now. He felt true happiness just by seeing that boy happy. And it was a really warming feeling.

When things looked clear at the front yard, he climbed down the house and over the gate. Searching around, Jesper found Klaus at the end of the street, waiting by the carriage, so he made his way there, quickly.

As soon as the horse began to gallop, the bearded man asked "did he liked it?". Jesper, still smiling, assured "are you kidding me? He _loved_ it!". Looking over at Klaus, he saw a quick smile already going away. It was the first time he had seen that man expressing some kind of joy.


	11. The Enigma Game

Mogens appeared at the post office window, ready to see Jesper asleep or something of the sort, but he was instantly blown away. The place was really busy, full with children telling the postman what kind of toys they wanted from the mysterious bearded man. Jesper was writing everything down, since neither of them knew how to write themselves.

When that first little boy got his toy, he soon got the attention from the other kids. He couldn't explain exactly what happened, other than that he had drawn a picture that the postman took to an unknown man and a present magically made its way to him. All of the children were curious about it and very interested. They also wanted something from _Santa Klaus_ , as Jesper called him. So, they all went to the post office to know what they needed to do... At the same time. Jesper was overwhelmed, but happy to explain each and every one of them that if they were good kids and wrote a letter to the mysterious Santa Klaus about what they would like as a gift, he would make sure the man received them.

While finishing with his last letter, the postman said, since everyone was still there, chatting "alright, just a reminder you all gonna have to write your own letters next time. I can't keep this up; I got actual work to do and… Santa Klaus will make your toy _extra_ special if he sees that you wrote your own letter!".

He quickly noticed Mogens at the window and gave him the most soft smile, making the ferryman gulp. But before anything else, Jesper turned back to the kids and finished "so, as I said earlier, you can find miss. Alva at the school. Everyone got that?".

Mogens was perplexed watching it all unfold and he soon asked, while all the kids were finally leaving the post office "what's all this, champ?". "Klaus agreed to it... _Kinda_ ", Jesper cleared his throat right after and the ferryman frowned "are you sure?". With an air of confidence, Jesper explained "we delivered a present already! The kid had the biggest smile on his face. It was so nice to see". The postman had a smile going himself, as he remembered the little boy with his frog toy.

The ferryman speculated "is that so? You look happy yourself", narrowing his eyes, possibly trying to check if the postman was being legit. Jesper gave a sigh as he got closer "do you really think I'm doing this just for myself?", and Mogens tilted his head "I don't know. _Are you?_ ". Looking down, Jesper expressed, in all honesty "I don’t think so. I'm not sure of anything at this point”. He faced Mogens again before continuing “life's bigger than myself, anyway, you know? May as well make the best of it; do some good while I'm here. _You_ said that to me, actually", he recalled, making Mogens let out a quick laugh "yeah, I did".

Neither of them said anything for a while, until Jesper sat at the windowsill and asked "so, are we good?", with a hopeful look. Mogens smirked, sat by his side and gave two light slaps at Jesper's left cheek "aw, are you actually concern, sweetcheeks? I'm here for you, don't worry". Jesper felt a sensation passing through his whole body, like if he was standing at the edge of a cliff. Mogens sarcasm was always so fitting and he missed it for the last few days, as well as the pet names, but he would never admit that.

He didn't want to look too obvious, that is, his enjoyment to hear all those words. Therefore, he said, attempting to tease back "two can play this game, you know". The ferryman was smiling at him when he replied "and what game are we playing, dear?". Jesper emphasized " _The Enigma Game_ ", with wide eyes, as he moved his hands in the air like it was a title of some thriller book.

Mogens puckered his lips and adjusted himself so he could be directly facing Jesper. Lifting his eyebrows, he mocked "oh. I would win that game, _easy_ ". Jesper crossed his arms and gave a little doubtful half smile "really? What makes you so confident?". Getting a little closer, the ferryman teased "you think you could unveil me?", which made the postman look at him up and down and say “two truths, one lie. Let's go, right now".

In an instant, Mogens sat up straight as he raised his eyebrows "what's that? You _actually_ wanna play?". In a wave of confidence, Jesper assured "yeah. Are you scared of being sincere?”, catching him by surprise. The ferryman locked eyes with Jesper and answered frankly "not at all, chief. But you'll never get it right", nodding in a negative way. The postman sat back and leaned on against the window frame "let's find out, then! Say three things and I'll get the lie". Mogens took a deep breath and agreed to it "alright...”.

He started thinking carefully on what he could say and after a good while, he spoke “I always wanted to be a singer, I'm not an only child and you're my best friend". Jesper was obviously startled by the options he was given, so he snorted and said "well, shit, that's hard".

Laughing, Mogens shot back "answer it, _know-it-all_ ", but even after thinking hard, Jesper was defeated "I feel like I'm being tricked, as usual...”. Eventually, he guessed “I'm not your best friend?". The man made a _tsk_ sound of disbelief " _wrong_. I never wanted to sing in front of people. I love the job I got right now".

Jesper huffed, looking down and reflecting upon it. "So... I'm actually your _best friend_ , then? What did I do to deserve such an honor, huh?", he said, trying to sound ironic, but coming out really soft, instead. The man gave a short laugh "you woke me up to life, sunshine! As I said before, I'm here on this island just for you; it's fate".

They were both smiling at each other for a few moments, until Mogens demanded "Your turn, now. Let's hear it". Jesper scratched his head and pondered “I'm not liking this game. I'm already losing".

He was getting up from the windowsill when Mogens held back his shoulder "don't be a sore loser, c'mon. Tell me about yourself. Maybe I'll get it wrong”. Although without looking back, Jesper stopped moving by the touch and the ferryman slowly lowered his hand as he continued “it's unlikely though, this is my game to win". Jesper tried to hold back a smile before turning around and when he did, he rolled his eyes to the man. He thought about what to say while staring at his captivating eyes and suddenly felt the urge to express his feelings building up, but he didn't want to ruin their friendship in case Mogens didn't felt the same way.

"Alright", Jesper said, taking a deep breath before continuing, "so, I can roll my tongue four different ways, I know how to carve stuff, kinda, and… My eyes are green", he spoke fast the last part and closed his eyes straight away.

The other man was laughing hard "my God, you don't know how to play this game, do ya? You made it so easy for me!". Jesper was smiling, facing him, but still not opening his eyes. "Tell me the lie, then", he tried to gloat.

The ferryman took his time as he was admiring the postman, calmly. He stared at Jesper’s red cheeks and closed smile; at the very thin and sparse blond hairs at his chin; at his neck and Adam's apple moving, while the man swallowed. Focusing on his long eyelashes and still closed eyelids, Mogens gloated "your eyes are blue, Jesper".

The postman opened his eyes with shock "how did you know that, so easily?", smiling wide.

Mogens didn't know how he could answer that; that he would stare at him for as long as possible when they were together and that he thought about Jesper all the time when they were apart, and that his eyes were unmistakable; bright blue eyes like oceans or the sky in a summer day.

So, he went with the lies, instead "it sounds like you to know how to roll your tongue a bunch of times and I've seen you carving before. ‘You forgot about that?". Jesper thought for a second and remembered when he was trying to make a bird out of wood to pass the time at his first week there, but he didn’t finish it and never came back to it. He had completely forgotten that Mogens showed up and saw it one time. "Oh, yeah... But what do you mean it _sounds like me_ to know how to roll my tongue? That's really presumptuous".

The ferryman tried to come up with an excuse "maybe I was just kind of hoping you could do that, cause I'm curious to see it. Show me".

Jesper chuckled, still with much doubt in his head, but after thinking about it, he decided "alright. Just don't make me laugh or I'll spit all over you", and the man agreed with a nod. Then, the postman started showing off his "talent" and Mogens was truly fascinated by it, watching carefully and not saying a word until he finished.

After a lot of tongue movements, the ferryman let out "that was... Weirdly cool, actually", still impressed. Jesper felt a little shy for a moment, so he just huffed and shrugged his shoulders while saying "thanks. So… I guess you won”.

They were intensely staring at one another when Mogens seemed to get out of deep thoughts as he blinked a bunch of times, looking around " _righty-o_! I know how much you appreciate my company, but I must get going now".

He was standing up to leave when Jesper sighed and teased him "okay... Bye, best friend", as he grimace with a smile in the ferryman’s direction. Mogens looked back at him and smirked "I'll see you soon, my dearest best friend", he promised, while bowing like a real gentleman.

\--

A few hours later, Jesper was startled by the sound of the door closing abruptly. It was Alva and she seemed mad. "What are you thinking sending _kids_ after me, Jesper?!". He looked up to her, raised his hands and joked "you mean, why did I send _kids to school?_ I must be crazy to do such a thing!", and he curled his lips up when he noticed her getting hesitant. "Okay, Jesper… But you know I'm leaving soon, right?", she clarified.

The postman got up his chair to pour two cups of tea "but you're here _now_ , Alva, and you are a teacher. Don't you say all the time how much you miss teaching?". Narrowing her eyes at him, Alva picked up the cup he offered "yes! But I don't know. I never thought I would actually be able to teach… _Here_. That's so odd".

Jesper said, while she was thinking about something in her own head "hey, hum... I'm sorry about the other day. I didn't mean to make you angry". Alva gave a heavy sigh "I just worry about you. You're my friend and I don't want anything bad happening to you". Jesper nodded and went to sit on his chair, suggesting with a hand for her to do the same "I have some things to tell you".

After he explained everything, including Klaus' personal life story (he thought it was important and felt like Alva wouldn't spread it around, anyway), she expressed, a little uncertain "I still don't think you should be going out there alone".

Jesper raised his eyebrows and huffed "okay. I guess I can go with Mogens for the next times, if it makes you less uneasy about it". Alva focused on him and carefully said " _it doesn't_. I still don't trust Mogens, either". Jesper rolled his eyes and rested his elbows on the table "why, because of some rumors?".

Alva started talking to explain herself, but she didn't know where to begin "It's-, I'm-, maybe I should just tell you! People say that-". Jesper raised his hand to her "no need, I don’t want to know about any more gossip. ‘You realize every rumor you've heard around here is all lies?".

Alva insisted "you can't know that for sure!", and the postman pondered for a moment before saying "if it's true; whatever it is, he'll tell me about it himself, with time”. Alva was scratching her arm with a confused look "why do you trust him so much, all of a sudden?".

Jesper didn't know what to say, so he went with the simpler answer "he's my friend… Like you are. We need to trust our friends, right? If not, what do we have going for us, especially out here, in the middle of nowhere?".

After a deep breath, Alva gave in "ok. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt for now. But you have to promise me that if he seems _dangerous_ or try to hurt you somehow, you will tell me. Do we have a deal?".

Jesper wasn't expecting such strong and define words from Alva. He had to admit he was curious, but just in the senses of knowing what the people could _possibly_ had made up about the ferryman. "Alright, deal", he said.

He was _certain_ it was lies, until Alva went on "I hope I'm wrong two times. I really do. For all of our sakes". That got him thinking about all the possibilities, but even so, he was mostly sure it was still lies. Mogens was far from dangerous, on the contrary! From the postman's perspective, he was a really good person and a friend, for both Klaus and him, at least.


	12. Living Life's Mysteries

Things were starting to get more and more busy around the post office that week. Jesper wasn’t that surprised when he went to deliver Klaus' mail, but the bearded man was pleased to see more children’s drawings and toy requests. Most of the kids still didn't know how to write a full sentence, so the majority of the letters were fully written by Alva.

Before Jesper left, the large man informed “we need to make adjustments to our arrangement”, and the postman could already guess what the issue was “do you need help delivering the new present requests?”.

Pondering about the matter while Klaus nodded, he thought about the promise he’d made Alva, which was to not go see Klaus alone. Well, he was there _now_ , but he was just doing his job this time, so did it really count? Besides, he was in much more risk of death at some parts of town than at the cabin, anyhow.

Recalling that Alva gave the ferryman the _“benefit of the doubt”_ , as she had said, Jesper suggested “alright, no problem… But, could I get Mogens in this too? I mean, just so he could help me out”. The postman chose this reasoning so that the man didn’t thought he was scared to stay alone with him, or something of the sort. Other than that, maybe _more_ because of it, he wanted to spend more time with the ferryman, not just briefly at the post office, as all of their meetings were.

But then, he realized what it sounded like instead, since Klaus was frowning “not that _you_ don’t help! I mean, you do make all of the presents yourself and wraps them, but... You did stay in the carriage the first time when I was being almost eaten by dogs…”. He noticed he was only digging himself deeper and so he continued talking, desperately “not that you _needed_ to do something! I just want Mogens with me 'cause-“, “you are fond of him”, he heard, being abruptly interrupted.

Jesper was open-mouthed as he looked straight to the man’s face, and simply froze. He wasn’t expecting that Klaus could see _right through him_ , beyond any extra explanations he'd have.

Seeing the postman’s reaction, the bearded man laughed “ho, ho, ho! Don’t worry, I won’t tell him. You two are going to figured it out on your own, eventually. He can come along, you let him know”. Jesper frowned his forehead and moved his hands in the air “wait, wait a second! What’s that supposed to mean, ‘ _we’re going to figured it out_ ’? Did he say something to you?”.

Klaus was already closing the door, still smiling a little, “life’s full of mysteries. Just live them, son”. The postman was about to knock on his door again, but he sighed, stopping himself.

“ _Just live them!_ ”, he whispered alone in the cold, lifting his eyebrows with a tilt of his head before making his leave.

\--

Jesper and Mogens had been meeting up at the cabin almost every night after that, since the ferryman agreed to his proposition in a heartbeat, without any further explanations. The two of them started helping Klaus with all of the wrapping too, seeing as there were too many presents, at that stage.

Some children mailed only drawings, while others would just write one word, that is, the present they wanted. "Short and straight to the point with this one again!", the postman would say as the three of them wrapped all of the toys and chatted through it.

"The presents are starting to run out", Klaus informed them one night and, for the next days, the large man helped Jesper on his carving techniques and they made even more toys together.

Mogens decided he wasn't good at that and would rather make them coffee and stick to wrapping. Then, they would all go to town to deliver the presents and even beyond, in more remote areas.

The postman was so joyful with life at that point. He was able to see kids smiling every day, as well as Mogens and Klaus themselves, which warmed his heart greatly.

The nights at the cabin were genuinely enjoyable, even if Jesper almost froze to death to get there each time. The three of them talked about all sorts of light subjects at first, making jokes and telling tales, until Klaus brought up his wife "she would be pleased with what we’re doing… Lydia was the best person I had ever known". Mogens mentioned that Klaus and Lydia were like family to him and that he's been taking supplies up to the cabin for seven years now, ever since he arrived on the island. When she started getting ill, the ferryman helped them with all sorts of things, like getting medicine from the mainland as Klaus stayed with her, for instance.

Lydia had passed away only four years back and, at the time, Mogens also assisted the man with her burial. “I thank Mogens for all that he has done for us in the past years; for me especially, after she was gone…”, the bearded man was saying, calmly, as they worked on the presents.

Then, looking straight at the ferryman, he went on “you know how much Lydia appreciated your friendship, as am I. You’re a good man, Mogens; don’t let anyone tell you otherwise”. Mogens swallowed and looked at Jesper first before addressing Klaus with a light smile “I’m here for you whenever you need me, as you always were for me…”, and looking back at the postman, that was just carefully listening to them, he finished “I’m here for all of my friends”.

Furthermore, they talked about Alva and how she was teaching the kids how to read and write. The postman didn’t want to mention that she was skeptical about their meetings, because it wasn’t her fault, really, but the townspeople abundant desire to spread gossip to whoever believed them.

Suddenly, Klaus informed "Christmas is just around the corner! You two are invited for a dinner party I’m roasting here. You can ask miss. Alva to join us too, Jesper". He was apprehensive at first, thinking about the high possibly of her refusal, but he just said “I’ll ask her; see if she doesn’t have other plans…”.

After that, they just chatted more about the party and the present deliveries. Jesper couldn’t help but acknowledge that he had made something good there and was fortunate enough to be around great people, too. Before he knew, he reflected about how much everything had changed and that he didn’t _want_ to leave anymore, even after his mail quota was reached.

\--

A few days before Christmas, Jesper went to the school to ask Alva if she would join them. He explained everything, as well as what they were doing for the last days and she expressed “the kids do look pretty happy, but… I don’t know”.

The postman insisted “please, give them a chance? For me?”, while making a sad puppy face. Alva looked up as she sighed “why do you have to do that? This is not how to get things your way, Jesper”.

He went on, shrugging his shoulders, “I’m-… There will be lots of good foods and drinks! And other people are gonna be there, as well. Come on, what else are you gonna do at Christmas night?”. She got closer and crossed her arms “I had plans of _not dying_ at Christmas night, isn’t this good enough for you?!”.

The postman was almost defeated at that point, but he tried one last time “they’re not going to kill anyone. I’m still here, aren’t I? Besides, we will make our last present delivery after dinner. You can come with us and see what we do for yourself… Or you could stay here, _alone_ , eating fish, instead”, and he raised his eyebrows.

Then, Alva expressed, after giving a few thoughts about it “ah! Fine. I will go, but if I see anything suspicious going on, you will take me back here _immediately_ , ok?”. Jesper was smiling as he agreed, “fair enough”.


	13. The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

It was Christmas Eve and Jesper was getting ready for the party early. He didn’t want to be late, especially because they would start to deliver their final presents around midnight. He strongly hoped it wouldn't snow too much that day; the weather looked not so horrible for the time being, at least.

After he was set, he went to pick Alva up at the school and they headed down the docks to get Mogens. “Do you wanna go get him with me?”, Jesper asked once the carriage stopped. Alva looked serious and expressed, plainly “no, thank you. You go ahead. I’ll wait here”. The postman nodded, stepping out of the carriage and, after fixing his hair a little, he walked towards the boathouse.

Mogens was sitting by his table in the middle of writing something in his journal when he heard knocking on his door. When he turned around, he saw Jesper already getting inside.

"Hey!", he said, as he quickly turned back, closed his journal and put a book over it.

"Hey... You're good? Ready to go?", Jesper asked with a frown, watching what seemed to be an unusual _nervous_ ferryman.

Mogens scratched his temple and let out, after a deep breath "yeah, sure. I just need to put on some shoes". His boots were all the way by his bed so he went there to put them on. Meanwhile, Jesper sat on the chair he was just in and started to glance around.

The postman looked through the pages of the book Mogens had put there. The ferryman gulped, staring at him anxiously "ok, let's go, sweetheart!". Jesper checked the man's boots and laughed, while pointing "you haven't even put the other pair on, yet. Why are you being so _weird_?".

Mogens grabbed the other boot and was putting it on his foot very quickly when he looked at Jesper again. The blond man was tossing the book aside and taking his journal in hand. " _No way_ you keep a diary!", the postman teased, smiling wide and already starting to open it. The ferryman got up in a light speed to take the journal from Jesper's hand, but the postman saw it coming and held it behind him.

Mogens stopped midway "It's not a diary, it's just...", he scratched the back of his head, " _song lyrics_ I wrote". Surprised, the postman questioned "oh! Okay... I thought you said you didn't want to be a singer", as he got up from his seat.

He started to look at the cover and then back at the ferryman, that averted "I never wanted to sing _in front of people_ , is what I've said". He abruptly stepped closer to Jesper and tried to grab the journal again, but the blond man held it up his head this time.

They were so close to one another that Mogens could see the sweat building up at Jesper’s temples.

The postman asked after a while, with a low voice "why can't I read it if it's not a diary, then?". Mogens licked his lips and sighed "It's still personal, though. C'mon", he said, putting a hand in front of him and lifting his eyebrows. Jesper was pondering what to do while he stared at the ferryman's eyes.

Neither of them looked away even for a second and, soon enough, Jesper lowered his arm and put the journal in his hand. The ferryman expressed, relieved, "thank you, darling! Was that so hard? You're so stubborn sometimes, I gotta tell ya".

Jesper crossed his arms, looked down at the journal and back at the ferryman's face. He then assured, in a serious tone, "I wouldn’t do something you don't want me to do. I respect you".

Mogens went to put his journal in a drawer and then he turned back around "oh, you do, do ya? I appreciate that, dear”.

There was a sudden shift in the atmosphere of the boathouse as Mogens began to walk slowly towards Jesper again. The man was just about to say something when he got interrupted by Alva, who showed up at the door “what is taking so long?! I’m freezing in that carriage!”.

Mogens faced her “good evening, miss. Alva. Pardon me, it was my fault, but I’m ready now”. She looked at both of them really annoyed and ordered “let's go, then!". And so, they left for the cabin.

\--

It wasn't heavy snowing, so they got there just in time for dinner. The cabin was full with people and Jesper soon realized it was the people from some of the remoted villages they went to before to deliver presents. Apparently, they were so grateful for the toys that they offered to celebrate Christmas together. Turns out, Klaus had the perfect place for it and each person brought their own food, so there was plenty of variety and a really jolly feeling in the air.

Alva was apprehensive at first, but she couldn’t deny that everyone seemed to love Klaus there and that _maybe_ , she was actually wrong about him, after all. Seeing Jesper smiling proudly in her direction, she went closer with her drink in hand and admitted “alright, maybe he isn’t that bad”, while observing the movement of the room. “I told you so”, he gloated, while bumping arms with her.

As they dined, Jesper felt a good deal of happiness by seeing everyone he cared about at the same table. Mogens was sitting by his side, so they chatted, teased each other as usual and laughed, a whole lot. The postman noticed Klaus checking up on them once in a while, giving subtle smiles, which made him thought about what the bearded man said to him the other night.

He then turned in his chair to face Mogens directly “so, what are you been talking with Klaus while I’m not there?”. The ferryman choked on his drink and after coughing a little, he countered “we talk about _all sorts_ of things! What exactly do you wanna know?”. Jesper narrowed his eyes “something about _me_ , in particular?”, but Mogens laughed it off “what makes you ask that?”.

The postman touched his own knee on the other man’s thigh and put his elbow on the table while he rested his head on his palm, carefully gazing him “I don’t know. Klaus was being weird the other day about something”. Looking down for a second at Jesper's leg, then quickly at his eyes, Mogens mocked “maybe he’s just a weird guy, have you thought about that?”, and he took a long sip of his drink. Jesper huffed while nodding his head in a negative way “why are you so damn _mysterious_?”.

The ferryman put his glass at the table, licked his lips and squeezed the blond man’s knee as he teased “what, are you looking to lose to me again in that, what’s it called again? _Enigma Game_?”, and he smirked, still with a firm grip at his knee. The postman rolled his eyes and effused “I’ll punch you”. Mogens faked being offended “ah, excuse me! You will _punch_ me?! You wouldn’t”, and he started laughing, going for a tickle at Jesper’s armpit with his other hand, also holding at his thigh now.

The postman was soon laughing too, trying to breathe as he held Mogens’ wrists “stop it or I’ll actually punch you!”. They kept going at it for a few more seconds, until Jesper noticed Klaus had called for everyone’s attention and except the two of them weren’t aware of it. They became the focus of everyone’s eye at that moment. He let go of Mogens, cleared his throat and took a sip of the man's drink, since he was out in his own glass. Then, he looked back at the ferryman and smiled, since he had a grin on his face still, for the entire time, ignoring all curious eyes, like Jesper was the only person in the room.

Klaus finally started talking “now that I got everyone’s attention”, he looked at both of them, before continuing “I must inform you that the dinner party is coming to an end. It’s almost midnight and we have the rest of the toys to deliver”. Unexpectedly, the people started clapping and cheering, making the bearded man attempt to be heard “no need! No need for that”, with a shy smile on his face.

After saying goodbye to everyone, Klaus, Mogens, Jesper and Alva went to deliver the presents. Klaus and Mogens was at the sleigh in front and Jesper was in his carriage with Alva. After a few minutes on the road, she asked what it seemed to be bugging her since they rode off “what was _that_ about at the party?”, and Jesper shamelessly played dumb “what?”. Alva returned, as it should've been obvious “with Mogens! What’s going on between you two?”. “ _Nothing!_ ”, Jesper pledged. She covered her mouth and nodded her head while looking at the road “I deserve a little bit of honesty, Jesper. Do you have… Feelings for him?”.

Jesper swallowed and felt his heart beating faster and faster at every sentence he thought of saying, although he decided to plainly admit to her “what if I am? Would that make me such an awful person?”, and he looked at her. She had her hands on her temples and, soon enough, she expressed “not _you_ , Jesper. Just… Ask him to talk about his _brother_. This is taking too long and you should know about it already, whatever the real story is… You should know before being blinded by love. I don't want you to get hurt”. At that, the postman faced forward again and didn't say a word for the rest of the journey.

Once they arrived on the first street of the town, he saw Klaus and Mogens talking by the sleigh, waiting for them. Jesper and Alva got off the carriage and, when they got closer, the two men abruptly cut the subject they were clearly discussing it before. Klaus said, after a cough “miss. Alva! Do you want to deliver the toys with us?”. She looked at Mogens and then at the bearded man “I’m too tired right now, but thank you. You guys have fun, okay? Merry Christmas”, and they said their goodbyes.

Right after, they started to select the presents from that street and Jesper had a distant look on his face. “Everything’s good with you?”, Mogens asked as he helped. “Yeah, it’s nothing”, the postman assured, with a closed smile.

At last, they started their final route. Jesper jumped a bunch of fences and climbed old walls while Mogens tossed him the presents and Klaus led the sleigh. Sometimes, the ferryman would need to help him up and also, get down. It was always an exilatering feeling everytime the postman had to jump down and be grabbed by the waist. He tried not to make too much eye contact in those moments; his heart was already beating too fast because of the psychical effort. The last thing he wanted was to get an heart attack on Christmas day.

It didn’t take too long to finish, since most of the toys were already delivered the weeks before. So, they soon said goodbye to Klaus and it was only Jesper and Mogens at the middle of town. They went ahead and walked side by side down to the docks, where Jesper would go back to the first street to get his carriage and they would part ways.

"You seemed to have fun today", Mogens commented while scratching his chin. Jesper looked at him as they walked "it was a really fun day. Maybe the best one I had here yet", which made the ferryman smirk "oh, and _I_ was a part of it. That warms my heart, dear, really", and he put a hand over his chest.

They stopped as they reached the docks. Jesper was smiling while admiring the sea when Mogens let him know "hey... I got you something".

Jesper faced him and looked down at the man's hands, that was holding a light and wobbly wrapped present. With frowning eyebrows, Jesper questioned "what is this?", accepting it. Mogens gave shoulders and said "open to find out".

After a huf, the postman started unwrapping, in great curiosity. He instantly felt something soft and familiar. Laughing, he let out "I can't believe you actually got me a silk... _Pillowcase_?!", as he unfolded the fabric. Mogens scratched his temple "sorry it ain't silk _sheets,_ though. That's all I could afford". Jesper was still smiling when he assured "I absolutely loved it! Thanks, Mogens. Really", and the ferryman put his hands in his pockets "no mentioned it".

Jesper started to grimace looking at the pillowcase and the other man asked with a frown "what is it?", so he said "well, your present made mine look like complete rubbish". Mogens started smiling again "you got _me_ something? Let me see it". The postman went to grab something small from inside of his coat "I didn't even bother wrapping it. I wasn't sure if I was actually gonna give it to you". He then rested a carved wooden mermaid on Mogens' hand. The ferryman looked stunned as he examined the object. He joked "it's the mermaid I saw at the sea!". Jesper gave a quick laugh and rolled his eyes "sure, that's the one. You saw it, you know it".

Tapping the blond man on his shoulder, Mogens expressed "thank you! I-, why you wouldn't give it to me, though?", and Jesper sighed before saying "ah... I thought I could make it better, but this is it". Mogens was holding the mermaid, but staring at Jesper's eyes "looks incredible just like it is". The postman was lost at his eyes for that moment and he spoke, almost in a whisper "I'm glad you liked it". He gulped before adding "so, good night, then. And Merry Christmas!".

The other man wished him the same as he opened his arms to give him a hug. Jesper’s face started to fell warmer and warmer the closer he got and, soon enough, they were in a nice embrace; the only two people there at that freezing night. It was quicker this time around, but it felt just as good. The sensation of having Mogens' arms wrap around him felt like home and he soon missed it as they went apart.

The postman was walking away, but got the guts to turn around and shout "you wanna go grab a drink tomorrow? It's on me". He noticed how Mogens was still watching him leave, and the man quickly answered, smirking "I'm down. Meet me here at, let's say, 7 p.m?", and Jesper promptly agreed "sounds good to me".

\--

At the very next day, Jesper went downstairs to work as usual, but quickly realized nobody would show up at Christmas day. All of the children were certainly having fun with their toys and everyone else was probably sleeping after eating so much. So, he decided to do something more fun to pass the time: he went to look for the bird he never finished carving and worked on that for a while.

It was still only 4 p.m, but the postman was already a little anxious about his meeting with Mogens in a few hours. He was still pondering if he should bring up the “mysterious brother" subject or not. Besides that, he started thinking about his father and if he would show up since his mail quota was completed. He couldn't leave Mogens and the life he had built there. It all felt like it mattered, for the first time in his life.

He then decided to take a nap to relax a bit and it was so cold, anyway. The postman just wanted to be covered in his blankets and get back to his nice pillow, now with that silk touch. But then, not too long after, Jesper woke up with a hand covering his mouth "rise and shine, postman!", and he got knocked out of consciousness.


	14. Romeo and Juliet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: blood; violence.

An intense stinging feeling ran through the postman's forehead as he opened his eyes. He tried to move and quickly realized he was tied to a chair in his room. Jesper heard loud noises coming from downstairs, such as banging and things getting broken and tossed, as well as people talking in despair. He shook his head, breathed deeply and started to struggle, trying to escape. Nothing seemed to work and his head was only hurting even more. He stopped moving as soon as he noticed blood dripping from his forehead onto his previously white shirt, now red and dry with old blood too.

His room was freezing and, when he looked at the windows, he saw they were broken and glass covered the floor beneath. Besides that, his mattress was torn open and thrown at the ground, as well as his clothes and other personal belongings. His wooden bird was staining the sheets and Jesper figured they used that to hit him in the head. The postman swallowed in fear and started coughing. The talking went silent and, after a while, the footsteps were getting closer.

Suddenly, there was a black-haired man and a red-haired woman in front of him, one from each on the town's clan. "Look who just woke up! Welcome back", the man said, getting closer.

"What the _fuck_ do you want?", Jesper taunted. The woman, still at the top of the stairs, chuckled "oh, he's being a smartass. This should be fun". The postman was heavy breathing, but he tried to control it, focusing on the man close to him.

After the two strangers eyed one another, the man spoked to Jesper "it seems someone needs to be taught a lesson about disrespecting tradition around here!". The woman added, holding a bag with the coins he had collected from the children "and we know you're rich! Where's the _real_ gold, postman?!".

Jesper laughed dryly and shouted "are you _stupid?!_ I don’t have any more money, otherwise I wouldn't be in this shithole of a post office!". He soon got punched hard in the mouth by the black-haired man and he spat blood before sitting back straight.

“You show some respect to the lady! I won’t be having that kind of behavior”, the stranger advised.

Jesper went silent and the red-haired woman spoke again, stepping closer "you must be a real disappointment to your father if he sent you here with _nothing_. What happened? Your parents don't love you enough? Surely, they were trying to get rid of you and yeah, I can see why! You’re just a waste of space and a hassle for everyone to handle… And it looks like it’s our turn to handle your mess”. The postman got dizzy with those words and his eyes started to water, even though he tried really hard to fight it.

He looked away from the woman and faced down, but the man quickly grabbed him by the chin and made him focus on his eyes “what’s wrong? Are you gonna cry now? Can’t take the hit?”, and laughed before pushing his face away, “we don’t have sympathy for your kind. All of you, _rich people_ … You think you can come here and do as you please? Well, guess what?! You’re _nothing_ ‘round these parts! Nobody here cares about you, not really”.

But the man seemed agitated, as he started to walk back and forth, thinking. He stopped in a blunt and shouted, “you shouldn't had come here and messed with the clans!".

Right after, he crouched besides Jesper and spoke in a calmer tone “we know you have more money here somewhere. You just need to tell us where it is and we will leave you at peace”. Jesper was still dripping blood from his now cut lip, so he used the opportunity to spit on the man’s face. He screamed and fought on the chair, trying to get loose again. The man wiped the blood off his face and punched him again a few times in the stomach and rib areas. The blond man gasped in pain.

The stranger threatened "tell us where you keep your daddy's money _right know_ or I’ll kill you!”. Jesper coughed and then said, with a raspy voice "I don't have any left! I spent it all fixing this fucking place...", while looking around and seeing it was in a worst shape now than when he got there.

The woman said to the man, while holding at his arm "maybe he doesn't have it. We looked everywhere!". The man held her hand and expressed "he must at least have something of value we can use, like a fancy pocket watch or something".

They started to whisper about something and Jesper interrupted "you're complaining about me getting rid of rivalry in this place, but you two seem pretty united". The black-haired man looked back at him and commanded, pointing his finger aggressively "shut the hell up, _shithead!_ ", and the two strangers got back to their private talk.

The postman looked at the clock by his bed that was still standing. It was 7:25 p.m already and he thought about how Mogens was probably worried about him.

Jesper proposed “if I give you something, you'll leave me alone?". They laughed and the woman seemed pretty relieved. With a hand on the postman's shoulder, the man said "of course! Now, where is it?". Looking straight into the his eyes, the postman promised, confidently "untied me and I'll show you a secret spot downstairs".

The woman was biting her nails, getting worried again as she expressed, "he's _bluffing!_ ". Jesper redirected his attention to her "and why would I do that? Or are you actually scared of a barely woke man when there's two of you without even a single scratch?". Both of them exchanged looks and eventually agreed to untied him. As they did so, the man gave him a warning "no funny business, or you're a dead man!".

They headed downstairs. The woman was in front while the man held Jesper by the arm. The postman was dragging himself, trying to pretend he was more debilitated than he actually was to maybe try something and get away from them.

Jesper slipped on purpose on the last step of the stairs, but the man grabbed him hard and demanded “so where is it?!”. He looked around and saw all of his things completely destroyed. His table was upside down, the door was ripped from the wall and his papers and envelopes where tossed everywhere. He gulped and pointed to a spot at the corner; a little cracked skirting board.

The woman got down on her knees to examine the crack and, in a blink of an eye, Jesper bumped heads with the man that was holding him, making him fall backwards. Quickly, the postman ran outside, but the woman was already right behind him. He fell face first into the icy snow after being abruptly pushed by her. She was holding tight at his legs, calling for the other man to come help her, when Jesper swiftly turned around and kicked her in the face.

As he ran, he looked back and saw the man helping the woman up, as she shouted “ _go get him!_ ”. Jesper was way ahead of them, though; he was used to running at that stage, but it was difficult to run without his boots and his socks were feeling heavy and soaked because of the snow. He felt the wind passing through him with such strength that his brain was starting to freeze inside of his head, as well as his whole body. He was still wearing his thin sleeping pants and his shirt was wet with cold blood. He could barely breathe when he finally saw the sea and the docks.

The postman made a sudden stop as he was running through the sand. There was another stranger starting to run in his direction. Jesper’s heart began to race at the thought of being someone else from the clans, but he quickly felt at ease when he saw that the stranger was Mogens.

The ferryman finally reached him, grabbed his face and held his cheeks "Jesper! What happened?!". The postman held steadily at his wrists, breathed deeply and closed his eyes. Touching foreheads, he stuttered "you-, you’re here. It's _you_ ". He started shaking and Mogens said "holy fuck, you're _freezing_ ", as he rubbed Jesper’s arms.

Tearing up, the blond man expressed "I shouldn't be here. I fucked everything up. They'll kill me. I need to leave this island! But I-, I don't wanna leave you. I'm sorry. I _need_ to leave you".

He stared at Mogens with a conflicted expression and the ferryman reasoned, holding his face again "calm down, tell me what happened. Was it the clans?". Jesper nodded, gasping, trying to control himself. Mogens looked around and didn't saw anyone. After a profound breath, he spoke "you didn't fuck anything up, you helped so many people. You helped _me_ , Jesper". They were so close to one another that all they could do was look deeply at each other’s eyes.

Suddenly, Mogens wiped some of the blood off from the blond man's lips with his thumb and _kissed_ him. He was abruptly pushed back by Jesper, who just stared at him, with his mouth half open and heavy breathing. Mogens had an astounded expression on his face as he tried to apologize "Jes, I'm-", but he wasn't able to finish his sentence, since the postman came to him, grasped onto his coat and kissed him back.

The ferryman held the nape of Jesper's neck and felt everything else disappear. That moment, it was only them. He could taste the blood on Jesper’s lips. It was a desperate kiss; so different from what he’d imagined their first kiss to be, but it felt just as wonderful. They gasped for air a few times, but neither of them pulled back.

" _Hey! Look at this. I found him!_ ", a voice spoke in the night. The red-haired woman was getting closer and stopped mid-way once she saw that Jesper was with the ferryman. The black-haired man came running and froze at her side.

Mogens was watching them while letting go of the postman. He started walking in their direction, pulling a small knife out of his pocket. "Y’all wanna hurt me too, _motherfuckers_? Come here, then!”, he shouted with open arms.

"It's the brother-killer boatman!", the man murmured to the woman, while they gave a few steps back.

Mogens was still walking their way and the woman shouted, grabbing the man’s arm “he will _curse_ us all! Let’s go!”, and they started to run away.

Jesper was almost passing out from the cold and head injury, but he heard it loud and clear: _brother-killer_. “ _What the hell did Mogens do?_ ”, the thought haunting his mind. His head felt like it was going to explode at any second.

When the ferryman got close again, Jesper couldn't speak properly as his mouth was shaking too much. He had his arms wrapped tight around himself when Mogens said, with worried eyes "let's go get you warmed up. Come". He offered his arm so the postman could support himself, but he didn’t get any response.

Jesper was speechless and just standing there. Mogens then wrapped his arm around him with great care and they walked slowly to the boathouse.


	15. The Brother

Jesper was cold as ice and all the blood was already stiff on him. He was very apprehensive being around the ferryman now, especially alone with him at the boathouse. Everything was so confusing. He was still hugging himself with a blank look when he heard "hey, are you with me?". Jesper looked at Mogens and just nodded.

The ferryman grabbed a wool sweater from a drawer and put it over his shoulder while saying "hold your arms up". Jesper was in a trance at that point, but he made an effort to do what he was asked. He wasn’t looking directly at the ferryman, but at the side, in deep thoughts. Mogens put his hands at the bottom of his shirt and started to pull up, slowly.

Mid-way through, he was startled by the red bruises around Jesper’s rib cage, and the man flinched as Mogens’ fingers passed through them briefly. At the top, the shirt was stuck to the postman’s skin, so he was even more gentle with the pulling, in case he had any cuts or bruises there too. Jesper lowered his arms and Mogens finished taking off his shirt, without touching his head wound. The postman focused his attention on the other man’s face, that stared back at him for a moment before walking off.

He then returned with a humid cloth and began to clean the blood from his neck and chest. Jesper gulped and got tenser, but he couldn’t keep his eyes off the ferryman at that minute, who was focusing really hard on his task. Jesper started to shake; the water was cold at his body.

Mogens went to rinse the cloth to clean his face and forehead next and, as he pushed his hair back to get to his wound, Jesper winced back. " _I'm sorry"_ , he whispered, continuing even more lightly. Jesper was tremendously confused; that man was so kind, but was it all a lie?

"It’s not that big of a cut, I don’t think it needs stitching. You'll get a scar for life, though". Mogens was speaking in a different tone than usual. He was being cautious.

After getting an ointment to apply to his wounds, Mogens was extra careful on the cut at Jesper's lip, with very light strokes over it. Next, he cared for his forehead cut, put a bandage over it and pressured, holding in there for several seconds. The postman couldn't face him anymore, so he looked down at the side once again.

Mogens was so close that he could hear his breathing. When the man finished it, he stroked Jesper’s cheek with the back of his fingers in a feathery touch and then, he offered the sweater he had on his shoulder "here, put this on. It's clean and warm". After some pondering, Jesper took the sweater and put it on himself. It was bigger than he was; his cleavage bones were still exposed, but Mogens was right, it was _really warm_.

He crossed his arms as the ferryman went to grab something else in the drawer. "What happened to your brother?", Jesper finally let out, plainly.

Mogens came back like he didn't hear the question and gave him a pair of socks "you need rest, Jesper. Try and get some sleep", and he pointed to his bed.

Jesper ran a hand through his face and denied the offer "how do you expect me to sleep after what I've _heard?!_ ", cracking his voice at the end. So, after a deep breath, he added, in a more sensible way "Mogens, what really happened?".

The ferryman was out of words to explain, so he said "it's not what you think. I loved my brother. He was everything to me", and went to sit by his bed. Jesper noticed that his eyes was sparkling as tears started to formed up. He went to sit by his side and they were silent for a while.

As Jesper changed his socks, the man spoke again "we were going on a fishing trip, like we always did, but something wasn't right". Jesper faced him and encourage the man to continue.

Mogens looked down at his hands "they said it was a clear day, but I knew there was a storm coming”. He started to scratch his hands, before continuing “I got into a fight with my father that day, as usual, before my brother and I went to the sea. Mikkel, was his name", the ferryman swallowed and rubbed his mouth and chin. "It was us two and two more of Mikkel's friends that day. I don't remember much, but there was water _everywhere._ It was dark, I couldn't find my brother, I couldn't find anyone. And then, I woke up at the beach with people interrogating me about their sons and... AlI I wanted to know was if Mikkel was okay, but... My brother got lost at sea, as well as the other two”.

The man went silent for a moment, reflecting upon his thoughts. Then, he looked at Jesper and continued, “people said I should had been the one that didn't come back. And they were right. Mikkel was the best person in our family and without him, we were just... _Broken_ ”, and he faced forward, lost in his memories.

Moving his leg frenetically, he went on “suddenly, it was _my fault_ there was a storm. I was the one who warned them about it, but no one believed me. So, for them, I had casted that storm. It was my fault there were sons that would never get back home… That there were mothers and fathers grieving their losses. For a time, I believed it too. I would never see my brother again because of some higher power; something _I'd caused._ I was finished; a cursed man… That wasn't my home anymore. I wanted to be at sea with Mikkel and away from all of the eyes of that town. So, I went away from there ten years ago and never came back. But the past never leaves ya, somehow, eh?”, and he gave a sad laugh, before facing down. “The stories follow you everywhere. People know about these sorts of disgraces, especially on the coast side. It becomes _tales of the sea_ and it haunts you forever".

He wiped his eyes, but didn't dropped any tears. After a long breath, he continued, while Jesper looked at him, with mindful eyes "I was here and there for almost three years, trying to do something with my life. Then I managed to get this boat after working at various docks and constructions sites around the coast. I couldn't keep away from the sea. I feel closer to him when I'm close to the sea… So, then, I ended up here".

Jesper went to hold his hand with both of his and the ferryman finally relaxed his leg, that was still moving up and down. "It's not your fault, Mogens. It was an accident", he said, in a low tone. The other man gripped to his hand and speculated, "why did I survive and he didn't? _I_ should've died instead of him…". Mogens was about to burst into tears when Jesper pulled his close and hugged him tight. And the ferryman wept for a while.

They were still holding onto one another, even after Mogens stopped crying. "I'll get those people who did this to you. This isn't over yet", the ferryman pledged. Jesper pulled his shoulder to face him "stop. You don't need to get yourself mixed up in any of this". Mogens stated "I’m _already_ mixed up with you, Jes… I need to make sure they don’t get to you. You can't go back to the post office".

Jesper sighed and frowned "we will think of something tomorrow, but whatever we do, we'll do it _together_ , then. Promise me", Mogens was hesitant, with a look like he wanted to get up from that bed at that very moment and go after the clans.

" _Hey!_ Promise me", Jesper said it again, touching Mogens' cheek to make the man look back at him. "Alright", the ferryman whispered, not sounding too sincere, though.

Jesper was barely keeping his eyes open; he was so tired from everything that happened that day. Mogens suggested it once more "sleep now. You need it", as he got up to get more blankets from his closet. Jesper lay down on the bed and Mogens put the extra blankets on top of him.

He was beginning to step away, but the postman held his wrist "where are you going?". Mogens swallowed "I'm just-", and couldn't think of anything else to say. Jesper reminded him "you _promised_. Please, stay here with me".

Mogens was muddled with the request and just gazed him. The postman clarified " _lay down with me_ ". The ferryman didn’t break eye contact with him as he just agreed with a nod and began taking his coat and boots off. He went around the bed and lay next to Jesper, who held his hand under the covers.

Once Mogens was comfortable enough, the postman rested his other hand on the man’s cheek and gave him an unhurried peck on the lips, slowly and softly. He then backed away, not looking at the ferryman's eyes, only doing so as he confessed " _I really like you_ ". Mogens squeezed his hand, which was still locked together with his, and stroke the back of it with his thumb "I really like _you_ ", he whispered back to Jesper.

The postman moved closer so he could be held by the ferryman, who gave him a kiss on the forehead, before wrapping his arms around him. After a relieved sigh, being there with Mogens, Jesper finally felt at peace.


	16. What do You Dream of?

Jesper woke up in a sudden manner. He was sleeping face down and sweating from all of the heat of the covers and wool sweater. After a deep breath, he taped Mogens’ side of the bed and the man wasn't there. Worried he had gone after the clans alone, the postman turned quickly and called " _Mogens!_ ". He soon heard the ferryman’s voice "calm down, sweetheart, I'm right here", coming from the kitchen area. Mogens had a huge grin on his face as usual and he was just finishing a cup of tea.

Jesper automatically placed a hand on his forehead cut, expressing pain. "Don't move too quickly or you'll get migraines until it fully heals up", the ferryman warned, while preparing another cup.

He then got to the bed and offered the drink to the postman as he sat by his side, "here, I made some green tea. It will help with the pain". Jesper sat up and said "thanks", with a raspy and low voice. He rubbed his eyes before accepting it and, as he drank, the ferryman had a little smile going on his face while he watched him. Jesper put the cup on the nightstand, sank back down on his pillow and sighed.

As soon as he noticed the man still staring at him, he asked, smiling back "what?". Mogens bit his lower lip and smirked "you always look so beautiful with that sleepy face of yours". Jesper rolled his eyes, but his smile went wider. He ran a hand through his hair, then rested it at his stomach.

Looking back at the ferryman, he countered "really? I'm a mess right now", while raising his eyebrows. Mogens took Jesper's hand on his and kissed the back of it, "your sleepy face is still the same as usual. I’ve seen it so many times already, after, you know… Waiting for you to wake up". Jesper's was frowning his forehead a bit "did you watch as I slept at my table every time? That’s... Weird", and he giggled, not being able to hide that he actually didn't mind it.

The ferryman was still holding his hand and he started to stroke it in a soft manner, "it's peaceful watching you sleep. I often wondered what you were dreaming of, though".

They were looking at their hands together and the postman returned the touch, caressing him back "mostly about trying to run on heavy snow and just sinking further and further down until I can’t move or scream". Mogens pointed out "well, that's dark, dear. Nothing more cheerful?". Jesper looked at him "I said mostly... Why, what do _you_ dream of?".

Straight to the point, the ferryman affirmed "I dream about kissing you", getting the postman by surprise. Jesper wasn't expecting such a sincere answer, but Mogens was a surprising person, after all. He deeply stared at the ferryman’s eyes and whispered " _come here, then_ ", before licking his lips.

Mogens lowered himself, slowly, not breaking eye contact with Jesper, until he let go of his hand and held his cheek instead. He glimpsed at the blond man's lips, half open and inches away from his. And then he kissed him. It felt so familiar already, like they’d been doing that for so long. Was it actually only the third time their lips met? Yes, but not exactly. Mogens had a lot of dreams about kissing the postman, in fact, that earnest kiss they were sharing at that moment was a lot closer to what he imagined it to be like.

Jesper was holding his face close and Mogens was already lost in that moment, as he slid down his hand from Jesper’s cheek to his neck and then collarbone, uncover by the sweater. The ferryman held tight at the collar and began to kiss his neck, fervently. He could taste the saltiness of the postman’s sweat. Jesper exhaled an immediate subtle moan as he pulled the man closer and grabbed his hair at the nape of his neck.

Mogens moved his other hand down and went through under his sweater, but as he trailed up, he touched the postman’s bruises and the man groaned in pain “ _agh!_ ”, frowning his forehead, briefly. The ferryman pulled away a little and apologized “my bad, did I hurt you?”, but Jesper assured, still on a blissful look “It’s fine”, already pulling him back for an intense kiss.

They kept at it until they went apart for a moment to breathe heavily and Mogens glanced at his eyes, saying in a gasp " _Jesper_...", and the postman could only hurl back " _yeah_ ", as he nodded, already missing the feeling of the ferryman's tongue in his mouth.

Jesper went to kiss the man again and he bit his lower lip as his hands began to wander a little lower. Mogens was already on top of him looking for some friction when Jesper got to his belt.

After undoing them, the postman was just about to unzip his pants next when they heard the battle bell ringing far away and people screaming in the streets. "What the _hell_ is going on?", Mogens complained in a very bothered tone, so they kept quiet, trying to listen.

The screaming just got louder and they sat up as Jesper questioned "are they coming for me?!", holding the man's arms tightly. "I won't let anything happen to you. I'll handle them, if that's the case", the ferryman promised.

Jesper rubbed his face and snapped, making precise movements with his hands "what if they have _weapons_ this time?! They could actually hurt you! We should leave the island".

The noise suddenly stopped and they couldn't hear what was happening anymore, but there was still occasional and individual shouting. Mogens grabbed the blond man's hands and explained "they wouldn't dare to put a finger on me. They don't wanna get cursed or whatever. If they believe this crap, I'll keep making the most of it", and he sighed. Then, stroking his cheek, he went on "don't worry, Jes, I will see if-", but he got interrupted by a knock on the door.

Jesper gasped, getting startled instantly, and he clanged onto the ferryman’s arms again. He only relaxed after hearing the faded words, " _it's Alva! Let me in, its chaos out here!_ ". Mogens got up, fixed his belt and went to unlock the door.

He saw the teacher with a worried frown "is he here?". The man nodded and gestured her in. When she saw Jesper on the bed, she stepped up the pace and came to sit by his side, "are you okay? I went to the post office this morning and everything's destroyed". Jesper was pulling his blankets back and he smiled, sadly "yeah, I'm okay", he sighed as he scratched his face, "I don’t know what I'm gonna do, though".

Mogens came and stood close to them "you aren't doing _anything._ Let me handle the clans, please?", but Jesper mocked "are you trying to get yourself killed?! No way, you stay away from them", and he moved to touch his bruised ribs, frowning in apparent pain.

Alva was just watching them carefully, until she said "about that...", but she got interrupted by Mogens, "the clans are literally this _whole town_ ". She tried to continued "but...", and Jesper shot back at the ferryman "so we just _leave!_ They've probably added you to their death list too now that you threaten two of them with a knife. I don't think they'll stay scared of you once they realize you aren't actually cursing them". Alva had enough of interruptions, so she shouted "guys, can you _shut up?!_ I think the clans are finished".

They both stopped talking and just stared at her. The postman quickly questioned "what do you mean ‘ _finished_ ’?".

Alva began to explain "a Krum boy and an Ellingboe girl, the son and daughter of the clan’s leaders themselves, have been secretly dating for months, apparently! They got caught just this morning trying to steal a boat and now everyone knows".

Jesper huffed and said "I knew there was something weird going on with those two when they jumped me", making Alva’s eyes go wide "was it _them_ who did this to you?! Romeo and Juliet, really?”, she questioned, pointing to his head injury.

Jesper touched the bandage on his forehead “yeah… They’re not a fan of a peaceful Smeerensburg, for some reason”. Alva was nodding her head negatively as she expressed her thoughts “but they used the traditional feud as pretext, then! They were looking for money at the post office?", Jesper was confused, but also intrigued "yeah! How did you know that?", so she sighed and talked "they are having a family discussion as we speak just outside... But from what I heard, they had plans to run away from this place, but they still needed money to pay the fisherman to take them. I guess they didn't have enough as they agreed on, because the man ran, rang the battle bell and snitched on them".

Mogens had a surprised expression on his face when he commented “I had no idea. This town never ceases to amaze me, let me tell ya”.

Jesper was far away inside of his head, thinking about the whole situation, still without certainty of the safety outside. "But what does that mean for us now? Are we clear?", he asked while looking at Mogens. The ferryman objected "I need to check for the details more up close. How's tradition standing after this. Will you be okay here?", glancing at Alva, the man added, "can you stay here with him?". She promptly nodded and said "yes, of course", with a thoughtful stare at him.

Before Mogens left, he came close to Jesper and messed with his hair "don't leave the boat until I'm back, alright?", so Jesper demanded, fixing his hair back at its place "don't take too long... And be careful! You better get back to me in one piece". Mogens looked at Alva, then at the postman and smiled "I wouldn't dream otherwise", and he made his way to the door, as he checked for his pocket knife.

Alva was looking down with a curl on her lips, therefore, Jesper called her attention by bumping his leg under the covers on her “what is it? What?”. She raised her eyebrows “you really like playing dumb, huh, Jesper?”. He sighed in a grin, lay back down and put his arms up his head, giving himself a nice stretch.

She poked him “is he good? I don’t wanna be annoying, but did you guys talk about his brother?". Jesper faced her and answered, honestly "yes. He's good. Can you trust me again with this one, please?". Alva gave a good look around and after some pondering, she agreed "okay. This place seems normal enough. I don't see any pots with potions or human eyes, or cauldrons... Maybe he's not a witch".

Jesper rolled his eyes and laughed "a _witch_ , really? What exactly did you hear about him?". She put the string of hair that fell on her face behind her ear as she looked up to face him and summarized "that he curses people in a way that they can't never get close to the sea or else they get swallowed by it and never return… Like he did with his brother". Jesper put a hand over his eyes while expressing "that's _absurd!_ I can't believe you fell for mythical tales. You’re such a smart person, Alva". She tried to defend herself "weirder things happens in Smeerensburg, Jesper! And I'm always cautious, anyway".

The postman rubbed his eyes and swallowed, before saying "it was an accident… With his brother. Mogens' a great guy, you just need to get to know him for who he truly is", which made Alva smile "getting to know him like _you_ have, you mean?". He was quick to respond " _yes!_ I mean, no. What do you mean? What's your point?".

She chuckled a little and asked, plainly "are you two a thing now?". The blond man just looked at her with his mouth half open, but didn’t know what to say. As he scratched his head, he just answered "I hope so".

Then, Jesper got up from the bed and went to find a mirror to check and care for his head wound. Alva took a deep breath and said “if you're happy then I'm happy for you. Truly, Jesper... I'll miss you when I'm gone, I haven't had a friend like you in a long time. I'm sorry if I got too clingy on you, I think I was missing having joy around people too much. I miss my old friends and my family and I can’t wait to get back to them, but I hope you know you’re always gonna be one of my greatest friends".

Looking back at her through the small mirror that hanged in the kitchen area, he assured, smiling "aw! Same back at you. Thank you for being my friend, Alva, I don’t know what I would've done without you here... I don't think I would have lasted a week".

Getting closer, she hugged him by the side and they stared at each other in the mirror. “My God, Jesper, you’re gonna have a nasty scar on your forehead forever!”, Alva guaranteed without any filters. The postman let out a small huff “thanks! I know that”.

She then began to sniff the air and found the teapot close to them “is that green tea? Don’t mind if I do”, and she made her way to pour herself a cup, without giving Jesper any time to properly offer her some. And he just tenderly smiled as she drank.


	17. The Palpitation of the Heart

Mogens was taking so long to return that even Alva was starting to get on edge as she watched Jesper pacing back and forth with a worried expression. She sighed and said “what if he’s cursing the whole town right as we speak in revenge because of you?”, but with a smile on her face, so Jesper soon realized she wasn’t being serious. Jesper shot back “okay. Really?”, while raising his eyebrows and tilting his head. She got up from the chair she was sitting and went close to him “just because he’s taking a while doesn’t mean he’s in danger. I wouldn’t be too worried; he’s a strong guy! He can take care of himself if something _does_ happen”.

Jesper swallowed and rubbed his face “I don’t feel right about this. We should go after him”, and he pointed to the door, but Alva held his arm “he said to wait here!”. The postman had a serious look on his face when he decided “I’ll go then! You can stay here”. Alva nodded in disagreement “I don’t wanna be here by myself!", and Jesper sighed “what do you suggest then?”, however, she didn’t know what to say. He promptly assured “I’m going”, and made his way to leave. Alva tried to remind him “you’re not even wearing-“, but the blond man was already closing the door behind him.

As he stepped outside, Jesper glanced around and saw a few people getting back inside their homes and a crowd on the beach starting to disperse, leaving only the two clan’s leaders behind. They were looking at the sea, talking. Their children, the Romeo and Juliet lovers, were nowhere to be seen. The postman soon felt the cold breeze creep up on his neck and he shivered. He hugged himself and as he looked down, he realized he also only had his socks on. Besides that, a light snow was falling from the sky and before he could contemplate if he should leave the boathouse just as he was or get back inside, he saw Mogens turning the street that led to the post office with a bag in his arms.

Jesper watched as the ferryman got closer and when he was at the wooden path who led to the boathouse, in range of hearing, the ferryman played “I’m starting to believe you actually _love_ the cold air, sweetcheeks. Stop lying to yourself, now”, and he smirked. The postman took a deep breath “I was _worried_ about you! Why did you take so long? What’s that?”, he said, referring to the bag. Getting on the boat, Mogens stood right beside him and cold air visibly left his mouth as he spoke “I went to the post office to get your clothes and your boots, that is… After I talked to some people at the beach”. They both looked at the spot on the sand where the crowd previously was and they saw the leaders finally leaving. Looking back at the postman, Mogens asked “Is Alva still here?”, and Jesper let him know with a nod.

Alva was already at the door when they came in, so she stepped back and expressed “ah, _finally!_ What happened to you?!”. Mogens gave the bag to Jesper, took his hat and brushed some of the snow off “I’ll explain everything”. The postman didn’t take his sweater off, but he put his own coat over it and some pants, as well as his boots, since he was already feeling his toes starting to freeze just by standing outside for a few minutes.

The three of them sat down by the table and the ferryman ran a hand through his hair before starting “alright, so… The power couple is gone! Too bad, 'cause I wanted to have a little chit-chat with them about what they’d done, if you know what I mean. But anyhow, the two families were fighting about how Krums and Ellingboes don't mix, but most of the people were getting second thoughts… Well, for a while now, as you all know. Everybody’s getting along, thanks to this guy!”, and he grinned while messing with Jesper’s hair.

The postman pushed his arm away and fixed his hair as he protested “why you gotta keep doing that?!”. Mogens gave a cheeky smile and teased “Because… Your annoyed face is almost as pretty as your sleepy face, sweetheart. Actually, you always look pretty, either way”. Alva clicked her fingers into the ferryman’s face and urged “oh my God, can you flirt _later?!_ Get on with what you were saying, Mogens”. Jesper was trying not to smile, failing miserably, making the man focus on Alva instead, so he was able to speak properly “where was I? Oh yeah. Nobody was joining them on the fight and someone suggested that they should see the young couple as a ‘ _new beginning_ ’ for the clans or whatever, but his mom assured that that would never happen; ‘ _only over her dead body_ ’, yeah… She was really upset. Her father was too! I mean, they got so used to hatin' one another. I have to say, I always wanted to witness a nice and chill Christmas in Smeerensburg and I thought that would never happen until, you know…”.

Alva sighed loudly and demanded “stop beating around the bush! get to the point already”. The postman had his hand over his mouth at that point, as he pretended he wasn’t finding the whole discourse amusing. Mogens scratched his face and continued “well, they talked for a long time. It felt like forever… Until someone else with a boat offered to take them over ‘til Viksengo for free, right where we first met! Remember that, Jes?”, and he smiled as he recollected their first little interaction in his mind. Alva got up from her chair in a rush and banged the table “are you _drunk?!_ ”. Jesper frowned and added “ _are_ you?”, genuinely unsure about it himself. Mogens looked at them and touched his chest with an exaggerate shocked expression “of course not! Why, y’all wanna go grab a drink and celebrate?”. The postman covered his face and started laughing while Alva shouted “celebrate _what?!_ Speak, ferryman!”.

Motioning with his hands, Mogens said “aight, aight. There are no more clans! Smeerensburg is free after centuries of hatred, at last. The people called for a vote right there and everyone raised their hands in favor, except for their leaders”. Mogens tapped at the table, looked over at Jesper and gave a soft smile “you’re safe here now, dear”. Jesper went to hold his hand and huffed in a grin “that’s excellent!”, and they just stared at each other. Walking behind them, Alva put her hands on their shoulders and suggested, after a relieved sigh “okay! Let’s go grab that celebration drink then, shall we?”.

\--

At the tavern, the three of them ate, drank, talked, laughed and Jesper felt his heart getting warmer about it all, especially at the fact that Alva was getting comfortable being around Mogens. He couldn’t ask for a better way to end that day, but it was still only the afternoon. Alva suggested “can’t Klaus help you out with the post office? I’m sure if you asked him, he would be happy to”. The postman pondered “I don't know... I don't want to become an inconvenience for him”, so Mogens stroked his back and said “you should definitely ask him! He has the materials and the skills for it… I would help out too, but I have a trip scheduled to Viksengo tomorrow morning”.

Jesper was already making a worried expression, which made Mogens focus on him to assure “don’t worry, I’m not gonna try to find them there. They’re probably long gone, anyway”. Jesper took a sip of his beer and asked “how long will you be gone for?”, and the ferryman gave an honest answer, “I’m never sure about the schedule. It depends if I’m gonna get more trips from there to somewhere else. But in three or four days, at max”. The postman just nodded, trying to play it cool, like four days wasn't _too_ far away “alright”.

After a few more drinks and small talk, Alva called it “I need to get going now. I have to prepare the kids’ homework for tomorrow. I always forget about their homework…”, and they made their goodbyes.

\--

Jesper and Mogens decided to take a walk at the town’s main street and they soon noticed the Christmas spirit still in the air. Children from both clans were playing with their toys in the snow together and the grown-ups were all talking and laughing. A few people came up to them in order to apologize in behalf of the couple’s actions on the post office and some of them even offered to help with the rebuild. As they walked, Mogens commented “you see? Everything’s working out pretty good”. They weren't drunk, but a little tipsy, as they laughed and talked about how amazing it was to have such a happy Christmas time that year and about the children being genuinely happy now, not just over the toys, but also for making friends with each other.

In a quick movement, Mogens went ahead a little and put his feet at Jesper way, that tripped and fell into his arms. The postman had his hands on the ferryman's chest when he said, laughing "you're such an idiot, I could've actually fallen to the ground". Mogens had a more serious look and he assured, as he put Jesper’s hair, that had fallen on his face, behind his ear "I got you, dear. Always. Don't worry". Jesper stopped laughing and just stared deep into his eyes for a moment, before gradually getting closer and kissing him on the lips. They didn't mind the people walking by. Some stare awkwardly, others smiled and the majority just didn't care. Two men in love wasn't a first in Smeerensburg and the people were always so much more concerned about the feud between the clans.

They kept kissing for a while until the ferryman interrupted to ask, still holding onto the blond man "you're going back at my place tonight, right?". Jesper huffed a little and said "what you're saying...?". Mogens grin began to appear in his face and just got bigger as he talked "you know... The post office is freezing cold and a real mess. Even if nobody is after to get you now, you won't wanna sleep in there, do ya?". Jesper looked down and bit his lips. He faced the man again with a smile "you're right, I don't wanna sleep there", and they stared at each other, before the postman went on, with a lower voice "even if it _wasn't_ all destroyed". Mogens just reacted, in a breath " _no?_ ", and Jesper nodded "no". The ferryman gave him a quick, but tender peck on the lips and decided "let's go, then".

\--

They walked back silently to the boathouse with their hands strongly gripping at one another. Once inside, Mogens closed the door and looked at Jesper’s back, since the man was facing the bed. The ferryman took his coat off and after hanging his hat at the wall where he usually did, he turned back and the postman was now intensely looking straight at him. Jesper gulped, licked his lips and kept his mouth half open while getting his head up, without breaking eye contact. He was already experiencing a palpitation of the heart when Mogens came to him in a rush and kissed him, deeply. Mogens started to take Jesper coat off and he tossed it at the floor.

Then, he took his sweater off too in a whoosh, immediately kissing him again on the lips and right after, on his neck. Jesper placed his hands on Mogens' chest to shove him back a little and just stared at him, breathing heavily. Mogens went to kiss him again quickly, but Jesper held the man's face in place, still catching on his breathing. He pushed Mogens in a slow manner until he hit a wall. The ferryman kept still, just admiring his bare chest, before facing his eyes again. Jesper went to kiss him, tenderly and slower this time, making Mogens feel his heart skipping a beat even more so than before.

As they kissed, Jesper pulled the ferryman’s shirt up and then, he rested his hands on his chest, before grabbing onto the necklace he was wearing. As the postman looked at the man’s body, he began to trace a big scar right above his right nipple, that went up all the way to his shoulder. Meanwhile, Mogens stroked the postman’s cheek, looked at his forehead and gave his remark "seems you're not the only one with a scar for life, eh?". Jesper was still feeling his skin with the tip of his fingers and without too much wait, he bent forward in its direction and kissed the man's scar eagerly at the spot where it was larger, closer to his nipple. Then, he looked him in the eye and said in a whisper "seems not", before touching his cheek and mouth with his thumb. And their lips met again.

Mogens had one hand around Jesper’s neck and the other on his waist, always so careful with the blond man’s rib bruises. Soon enough, he was removing his boots and unbuttoning his pants, and then Jesper’s, who followed along. They were only in their underwear now, pressing their bodies together. The postman could feel Mogens' cock getting hard as it touched his own when they moved. Jesper was half hard himself too and he could hear his heart beating so loud.

Mogens went to kiss his neck and the man reached the perfect spot. The postman couldn’t contain a rough moan that came out of his mouth. Jesper’s bit Mogens’ shoulder lightly as his hands went down to take off the ferryman’s underwear. When their eyes met again, they closed the gap between their lips in an instant. Jesper took the man’s cock in his hand and it felt just astounding; it was completely hard now. Mogens stuttered in his mouth, since they were still kissing each other. “ _Oh, Jes, yeah…_ ”, Mogens moaned, as the postman stroked him. After a moment, the ferryman took Jesper’s hand off of him and went to feel him through his underwear. He gave Jesper a luring kiss on the cheek and freed his dick from the fabric. The postman bit his lower lip and then gasped as the man stroked him and pressed his thumb into his slit.

They were back at kissing as Jesper held Mogens by the back of his ears while the man rubbed their throbbing-hard cocks together. Jesper looked down for a second at their dicks together and expressed, with a hand on the man's neck and the other on his chest “st-, _stop!_ Or I’m gonna cum already”, in a hesitatingly breath. Mogens smirked and grabbed him in his arms. Jesper was stunned by the action as he automatically wrapped his arms and legs around the ferryman, getting carried to the bed.

The ferryman gently dropped him onto the sheets and just stood there, looking at him all over; Jesper's stiff and beautiful thick cock dripping precum on his stomach and his blissful eyes, staring back at him. Jesper’s body was shining gold at that sundown light and his hair was glowing blond, like the sun in a hot day. “What are you doing?”, the postman whispered, in an indrawn breath. “Can't I enjoy the view for a moment?”, Mogens panted, as he got closer and kneeled by him.

He touched the postman’s chest and nipples and slowly traced down. He passed through his cock briefly, which jerked a bit by the feeling. The ferryman was now stroking Jesper’s thighs with both of his hands and Jesper couldn’t help but notice the visible veins on Mogens' arms. He looked intensely at the man above and begged “ _please_ ”. Mogens lay on top of him; their cocks touching and pressing against each other’s belly as he asked in a low tone “what do you want?”. Jesper licked his lips before saying with his eyes fixed on him “ _I need you inside of me_ ”.

Mogens stared at him for a second and just gave a closed smile before giving a quick peck on his lips. He reached for the nightstand by their side and grabbed a small bottle “what’s that?”, Jesper enquired, already having an idea about it. “Just a little something”, Mogens assured, as he opened the bottle and dropped the oil inside onto his fingers. He went for the blond man's neck again to distract him from the sensation he was about to feel. Jesper grabbed and scratched the ferryman’s back quickly as he felt the fingers getting inside of his hole, one by one. The postman felt his heart ponding as he kissed Mogens' neck, cheek and the corner of his lips, missing where he was aiming for. Mogens held his chin as Jesper relaxed on the pillow and then, he teased a kiss, just licking the postman’s lips briefly, before getting completely emerged into the connection. Their tongues swirled together so perfectly and the postman was so into that moment he almost didn’t notice Mogens' fingers getting redrawn from inside of him. He was already missing the feeling, though.

Mogens was coating his dick with the rest of the oil when he got pushed down onto the bed by Jesper, that went to sit on his lap. The postman grabbed the man by the cheeks and gave him a deep kiss before saying with his eyes closed, touching foreheads “ _slowly_ ”. Mogens nodded and pulled the blond man’s hair back, which has fallen into his face as he moved back a little. Jesper took Mogens' cock in hand and put in on his entrance. In a really slow movement, he began to descend into it, as he held the ferryman’s shoulders.

The postman frowned his forehead and bit his lips as he felt a burning sensation. Mogens gave a remarkable moan and gripped at Jesper's ass when he slid fully inside of him. Soon enough, the burning blossomed into pleasure as Jesper moved his hips and his gasps turned into groans. Jesper closed his eyes in a bliss and he just _smiled_ in delight. The ferryman couldn’t stop staring at his face and he breathed heavily. “You’re so damn beautiful”, the words just coming out of Mogens' mouth. The postman opened his eyes, looked down at the man and brushed his hair back before grabbing Mogens’ face and tracing his lower lip with his thumb.

“ _I love you_ ”, Jesper said, before kissing the man passionately. The ferryman smiled in between the kisses and held onto Jesper’s back as they moved together in an astonishing syntony. He then started to kiss and lick Jesper’s nipples while the postman took his dick in hand to jerk it off. The ferryman moved his hand aside and took it himself, starting unhurried, but soon giving a nice rhythm to it.

Jesper closed his eyes and threw his head back. His whole body was sweating and his neck was exposed for Mogens to kiss it some more. The postman was grabbing onto the sheets with such strength that his knuckles went white. Mogens was driving him crazy with his hand action, so he soon got back to the man and held him tight as he gave a silent yet cut out scream into the man’s ear. He released all over their chests. As he looked back at Mogens with euphoric eyes, giving such heavy breaths, the ferryman followed, gripping at the postman's thighs. He came inside of him, as they stared deeply into each other’s eyes.

After Jesper catched his breath, he stroked his face and now wet hair back once more, took himself off of Mogens and lay by his side. They were soaked in each other's sweat and cum and Jesper soon felt it dripping down his ass. After a few moments of silence, Mogens said “ _I love you_ ”. The postman sat up to look at him. After a small huff, he faced down and scratched his rib bruises, trying not to make a big deal out of it “you don’t _have_ to say it back, I just…”, although he didn’t have any words coming out next. The ferryman came closer and touched his forearm “I meant what I said”, making Jesper look back at him and just keep looking for an instant, until a smile started to grow on his face. He simply nodded “alright, then”.

Mogens gave him a quick kiss on his temple and went out the bed, so the postman just observed his naked figure going to the kitchen area and filling a glass of water. The man drank it all in a big gulp and then got a cloth to clean his chest. He came back with a new cloth and glass of water for Jesper, that laughed “you spoil me”, before getting the glass from his hand. “Anything for you, sweetheart”, Mogens countered, as he sat back down at his side, moving a bit to kiss his shoulder as he drank. Then, Jesper cleaned himself with the cloth and they just cuddled in silence, with Mogens caressing his arm as he played with the man's necklace.


	18. Waking Me Up

“ _M._ ”, said Jesper, as he looked at the engraving on the steel palette that hung on the ferryman’s neck. “It’s from Mikkel, actually”, Mogens shared, touching the object over Jesper’s hand. Then, he continued “it’s the only thing I have left of him. We made it ourselves when we were kids. He had one I made for him too, so we would always have something of each other when we were apart”. After a short while, Mogens went ahead and took his necklace off and put it over Jesper's head. The postman leaned with his elbow on the mattress and just looked at the man, that requested "can you keep it safe for me ‘til I get back from Viksengo?". Jesper looked down and held the necklace before asking with a serious tone "are you sure?". The ferryman messed with his hair "yes, I'm sure. I'm trusting you not to lose it, alright?", which made Jesper open a big smile as he lay again, now with his head back at Mogens' chest, still examining the steel palette in hand.

The ferryman wrapped his arm around the other man’s neck to his chest and went forward for a moment to kiss him on the temple, next to his head injury. "Does it still hurt?", he asked. Jesper let the necklace rest on his skin and replied "not that much; there's moments. I'm alright now". Mogens gave a deep breath as he stroked the postman’s nipple area with the tip of his fingers and then circled and pinched the nipple itself lightly before resting his palm fully, feeling his heartbeat. "Good", he expressed, glancing at his necklace on Jesper's body.

Jesper took some time to reflect about it all, trying to absorb as much of that moment as possible. He wanted to remember it for a really long time. It was already dark out and the only light they were having at that instant was the full moon light. Also, it was starting to get a little colder in the boathouse. Jesper thought about getting up to light up the fire and show off his skills Mogens didn’t think he had in him, as he joked some weeks ago, but the fireplace flames could never beat the warmth he was feeling already, laying back at the man's chest. Looking around, he spotted the same journal he tried to take a look at on Christmas Eve, over the table with a pencil on top, and the ferryman’s guitar leaning on the wall. Right above it, he saw a calendar hanging with a bunch of marks, circles over dates, with arrows and scribbles.

After a while, Jesper asked "do you really have to go tomorrow?". Mogens gave a nice chuckle "oh sweetheart, you really can't get enough of me _already?!_ You’re so attached to me, huh", and the postman bumped him at the side "shut up... But, do you? What will happen if you just don’t go?". Mogens reasoned "well, I guess I lose my spot here. At the docks and in this town. I can't leave people hanging, Jes; waiting for trips all around. I signed a contract." Jesper put his hand over the ferryman’s one that was still over his chest and looked up at him "I can wait for you, then". Mogens smiled, moved closer and expressed “thank you, love”, before holding his chin and giving him a peck on the lips.

The ferryman lay back down and stretched both of his arms up while saying, with a big grin on his face, “God, I can’t believe _I slept with the mailman!_ That’s something I thought I'd never do”. Jesper rolled his eyes and took advantage of the situation, going for a tickle on the other man’s armpits. In fast reflexes, Mogens tried to get rid of him, begging “please, _please!_ Stop. _Jesper!_ ”, but the postman continued while teasing, laughing and arching his eyebrows “isn’t so fun the other way around, is it?”. The ferryman was about to cry laughing when he managed to hold both of Jesper's wrists.

They both had a smile on their faces now and Jesper recalled “remember what else you thought you’d never do?”. Mogens frowned his eyebrows and nodded negatively, so the postman pointed with his head at the table were the man’s journal lay, beside his guitar. Mogens huffed and let go of his wrists, already preparing himself to lay back down again “ _nah._ That won’t ever happen”. Not liking that answer, the postman went for a tickle once more and caught Mogens off guard, so they kept at it until the ferryman got control again “Jesper! Are you trying to kill me or something?”, and the postman shot back “you can’t die from tickles”. Mogens affirmed, still laughing a bit “yes, _you can!_ Some people died already; so I heard”. Jesper wasn’t buying it, so he mocked with a silly expression “like who?”. Mogens was gripping hard at the blond man’s wrists, since he was still trying to escape “people… _Somewhere!_ Seriously, Jes. It’s true; it’s a thing”.

The postman tried to gamble “I’ll stop if you sing me a song”. Mogens’ laugh turned into a nice smile as he stared into his deep blue eyes, so dark now in that dim light “no way”. Jesper asked once again “ _please._ It’s only me”, for which the ferryman affirmed “that’s the problem. Most of my songs are about _you_ ”. Jesper soften his struggles from the other man’s grip and he had a big grin forming by the time Mogens demanded “stop doing that with your face. That’s not fair”. Jesper went forward quickly and gave him a tender kiss on the lips, before saying “c’mon, Mogens. I won’t judge if it’s _bad_ ”, and he chuckled shortly at the very end, noticing how awful of a gambler he was being. The ferryman was so incredulous with his lover's attempt to get things his way that he fully let go of him and joked “goddamn, sweetheart. How did you manage to transform Smeerensburg in such little time with _this_ kind of tactics?”.

Jesper scratched his head and grimace “it’s a true talent…?”, being obviously impressed himself. He then went to caress Mogens' cheek while pouting and doing sad puppy eyes. The ferryman was dumbstruck at that point and he ranted “you just-, you can’t just… Holy damn, Jes. _Alright!_ You’re so stubborn”.

Mogens kissed his palm shortly, got out of bed, put his underwear on and went to light-up the fireplace. When the light reached Jesper, the ferryman looked at him kneeling on the bed. His hair was so fluffy and messy that he couldn’t refrain from fixing it this time. He reached the bed again and did just that, brushing it all back with both of his hands, steadily. The postman was surprised, but soon fell into the touch. After a moment, he held Mogens’ wrists and assured “you won’t distract me. Go grab your guitar”. Mogens curled up his lips, gave him a kiss on the forehead and went to the table’s direction.

He soon got back to the bed and started to flip through the journal, without letting Jesper peek at it. The postman just waited silently, as he messed with the sheets with a soft smile. Soon enough, Mogens said “I can’t choose”, still looking at the pages. Jesper noticed he was legit nervous about this, so he put a hand over his on the journal, making him stop flipping through it, and suggested “how about one of when you first realized this wasn’t… Just a simple crush?”. The ferryman thought about it for a moment, but agreed “aight”, and searched for the one he had in mind. The postman changed to a more comfortable sitting position in front of him and pulled the covers over his shoulders. He was feeling a little chilly without the heat of Mogens’ body close to his now.

When the ferryman finally got to the page he wanted, he grabbed his guitar, swallowed dry and pronounced “It’s called… Don’t laugh! This one’s called _Winter's Warmth_ and it goes a little something like this...”. Jesper went completely serious as Mogens stroke the first note on his guitar. It was such an elaborate and soothing tune that even before the ferryman got to the first lyric piece, Jesper already had his mouth open a bit, with a half-smile on his face.

_Just another dream, it’s all a blur, far from reality, but I just can’t get… Enough._

_It's harder than it seems sometimes, to be closer to you and look you in… The eyes._

_You don’t know what you do to me, I’m sinking into the sea of my own… Thoughts._

_And it all comes back again, everlasting moment, with just a glimpse of you, of you._

_I don't wanna wake up. Let me lay right here forever. I can’t get you out of my head._

_Spending time with you, without telling ya how I feel… Oh heavens, I'll be damned._

_I'm floating away… Could hold me, on this cold winter day?_

_I'm floating away… Could you love me, could you care for me that way?_

_You're waking me up. I’m awake now. Oh, everything it’s different now._

_I hear your voice echoing inside of my mind. Well, I think I got caught up in you._

_Sometimes I know what this is. I just know you feel it too, but oh… Is it true?_

_I don’t wanna fight it, but I also never want to push you far… Away._

_And I feel you through the fire, lover! Should I start connecting the… Dots?_

_I’ll hold onto you tight, my lover, so you can feel the heat between us, too._

_I don't wanna wake up. Let me lay right here forever. I can’t get you out of my head._

_Spending time with you, without telling ya how I feel… Oh heavens, I'll be damned._

_I'm floating away… Could hold me, on this cold winter day?_

_I'm floating away… Could you love me, could you care for me that way?_

_You're waking me up. I’m awake now. Oh, everything it’s different now._

_I hear your voice echoing inside of my mind. Well, I think I got caught up in you._

_Oh, Oh… Do you feel it? Or am I dreaming? Let me be your winter's warmth._

_And all these things… I can't explain._

_You're a lovely dream… I can't refrain._

_Oh, your deep blue eyes… Always on me._

_It makes me feel like… I’m under… Sea._

Jesper was speechless, in a way he never experienced before. He just couldn’t think of a full proper sentence to say after listening to that. He had a huge grin on his face, though. Mogens could definitely play the guitar _perfectly_ and his voice was really nice and rough. The ferryman cut the silence, while putting his guitar away and getting ready to close his journal “don’t start crying, now”. The postman held the man’s arm in place “wait a second. That was, just… _Beautiful_. I-, I’m out of words, Mogens”. The ferryman fixed his look at Jesper and expressed “thank you, dear. I gotta say… It was kind of weird, but I enjoyed it… Sing to you, truly”.

Then, the postman narrowed his eyes and joked “so, _you_ were that mermaid at sea, huh? With the bewitched singing?”. Mogens gave a great laugh at the remembrance “do you feel bewitched?”, and the postman came closer to assure “ _definitely_ ”, and he kissed him, deeply. Looking down at the lyrics afterwards, Jesper noticed it had a date from _weeks_ ago, so, running his fingers through it, he questioned “when was this, when you wrote it?”.

Mogens scratched his head at the front, brushed his hair back and without even looking at the date, he assured “this one? Ah… The day I gave you my gloves, I feel”. Jesper frowned a little and smiled “you had feelings for me _then?!_ So soon?”. Then, he teased, with a smirk similar to the ones Mogens always gives him “who’s attached now?”. The ferryman kissed his shoulder and said, looking at him closely from below “ _I am_ ”. Somehow, Jesper was still surprised by Mogens' incredible honesty all the time, but he just questioned “why didn’t you say anything? You really thought you would push me way?”.

The ferryman went ahead and caught an eyelash on Jesper’s cheek with his thumb “you knew how you felt back then, by any chance? I didn’t wanna scare you. And, also, your plans… About leaving”. Jesper glimpsed at the hair on Mogens’ finger “I’m not leaving. I like it here”. Then, Mogens started to handle the single eyelash with both of his hands and, with a chuckle, he teased “ah, now you’re staying in Smeerensburg because _you love me_ and can’t get away from me no more. Just say it”. The postman rolled his eyes and affirmed “I like being a postman in Smeerensburg! Don’t get your ego too inflated”. The man laughed “wait, wait… Did I hear that right? You _like_ being a postman here? You want me to remind you all of the times you came crying to me, complaining about how miserable you were and how you hated the cold, and how the people-“. Jesper raised his hand and interrupted “I never came crying… To you, specifically”, and Mogens continued “yeah, you just suffered in silence”.

The postman ran a hand through his face and proceeded “look… The point is, things will be better now that there are no clans”. The ferryman was still with the eyelash in hand and he just simply said, staring at it “okay…”. Jesper rested his elbow on the bed, tilted his head and started playing with the sheets “and you’re not so bad yourself”. Mogens immediately shot back, with a grin “Jes, you literally said you love me, already. What’s the matter?”, and then, he blew the hair away. The postman sat back up and grabbed his shoulder “what are you doing?! You know that’s not how wishes work, right? It was mine”, “you don’t know that. Maybe it will work”, believed Mogens. With a smile, Jesper bit his lower lip and then, he said “you’re… Something else, Mogens”, shaking his head. The man gave him a quick kiss on the lips and stroked his cheek before suggesting “let’s get some sleep now. I have to leave at 5 in the morning tomorrow”.

Once they were comfortable and cuddling each other under the moonlight that came through the boathouse windows, Jesper asked “what did you wish for, anyway... On the eyelash?”. The ferryman hugged him tighter and explained “I can’t tell you, or it won’t come true”, which made Jesper punch him lightly in the chest “oh, so _now_ you’re worried about the rules?”. After a short chuckle, Mogens just sighed “good night, Jes”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspiration songs for Mogens' lyrics:
> 
> Red - Lucy Daydream  
> Wake Me Up - Foreign Air  
> Colourblind - Feelds  
> Brief Encounter - Dawn Golden


	19. Marks of the Past

Mogens opened his eyes and saw it was still dark. He quickly checked the clock. _4:22am_ , which meant his alarm would ring in eight minutes, so he went ahead and turned the handle off. The ferryman soon heard a low, but quick noise like a cry of despair, coming from the postman’s side of the bed and he immediately turned his head to check. Jesper was still asleep, although he had his forehead frowned and was grabbing hard at the pillow. His mouth was moving, but no words were coming out, just eventual nonsensical sounds. Mogens got closer and called for him “hey, Jes?”, but the man didn’t respond. Instead, he started to breathe heavier at each second that passed and his noises were louder, so Mogens decided to touch him on the shoulder and try once more, speaking a little louder this time “ _Jesper?!_ ”.

The postman quickly opened his eyes and moved fast to a sitting position with a shocked expression on his face. He was catching his breath while drips of sweat rolled down his temples and the ferryman got worried, “are you okay? One of those bad dreams with the snow again?”. Jesper looked at him briefly, rubbed his face and nodded “yeah… No. It was another one. I haven’t had this one in a long time”. He went to grab the cup of water Mogens had brought to him the night before and, as he drank the few sips it was still left, the ferryman asked “what was it? If you don’t mind sharing”.

After he finished his water, Jesper put a hand over his head wound and closed his eyes after a big sigh. He licked his lips, rested his head at the bedframe and looked up “we really can’t get away from the past, can we?”, which made Mogens nod while frowning his eyebrows. The postman continued “I didn’t tell you about the most… Difficult parts about living with my father after my mother died”. The ferryman remembered “you just said it was a delicate relationship; he was cold and distant… And hard to talk to?”. Jesper lifted his eyebrows and expressed “yeah, the tip of the iceberg”.

The postman wiped his sweat with the back of his hand and adjusted himself until he touched shoulders with the ferryman. Then, he went on “we never really got along, even when my mother was still alive. He did love her; that I'm sure. But he was-, he _is_ just so very... Unlike me. We never had anything in common and he could be real vile at times. He used to say my mother protected me too much from the real world. He was right, probably; I was totally lost after she died... I didn't have the _one_ person who loved me and that I loved so much anymore, and with my father… It just gotten worse. It started going downhill while she was sick, even”. Jesper bit his lips while nodding and stared blankly ahead.

He soon spoke again “my mother was too good of a woman. She was so understanding and forgiving about anything. She would always put others first. My father hated that aspect about her... She used to give away all the things he bought for her, to help feed the poor. That was her life; not an ordinary housewife, like he surely wanted”. Mogens adjusted himself to the side and faced the blond man, who continued “I actually dreamt about the times after she died. My father isn't a man who beats children, but he can hurt in other ways, like… _Emotionally_. Sometimes, I wished he would just hit me with his fists instead of his words”, and he squeezed his hand on the sheets while distress started to show on his face. Mogens swallowed dry, grabbed his hand and they pressed them tight together.

Jesper exhaled deeply, reflecting “I guess I got too immersed in what that couple from the clans said to me. They really got it just right of why my father would send me here with nothing… I’m a man undeserving of his love; a disappointment of a son… Not good enough for him”. He looked down at their hands “I thought I surpassed that, but it all comes back out again. My father really made me feel like crap after she died, you know? Like… He would make it obvious that if he could trade me with _Death_ for her life, he would do it in a heartbeat, even if she lived ‘til old age hating him for it”. The postman puckered his lips and looked back at Mogens “he's sharp with his words, my father. I always feel dizzy when talking to him. Is like I lose my balance not only physically, but mentally. He gets _in there_ , right in the soft spots. He knows me to well for someone that doesn't even likes me. He despises me, I feel. Or just tolerates me. He doesn't like the man I became, yet he never really liked any other version of me, isn’t that funny?!”, but he wasn’t laughing. Jesper had hatred in his eyes, but that wasn’t all that was too it. It was a mix between hate and deep sorrow.

Mogens touched the man’s cheek and assured “hey, you don’t need him. _He’s_ the one who doesn’t deserve your love. If he doesn’t care about you, well, _I do!_ I care about you, Jesper and I always will. I love you, okay?”. The postman put his hand over Mogens', closed his eyes and they touched foreheads “I love you, too”, he said it back.

After holding onto each other for a little while longer, Mogens pointed out “I have to leave in 20. Will you be okay?”. Jesper scratched his eye, assuring “yes, I’ll be okay. Don’t worry about it, really”, and he got up to put his clothes on.

As they dressed, the postman got close to touch Mogens’ still bare chest. He trailed up his scar “you never told me how you got that scar. Was it on the boat accident?”. The ferryman gave a sad smile, grabbed the blond man’s hand from his chest and kissed his palm before saying “it’s not that simple of a story to tell ya right now”. He noticed Jesper's concerned look starting to form up and he knew that the man would think about the _mysterious_ reason for the next days until he got back so, he quickly completed “tell Klaus he can speak freely about me. Wherever you ask. He knows all about my past”.

Then, he asked, caressing Jesper’s cheek “you _will_ talk to him today, right? About the materials and such?”, but the postman grimace “ah… I’ll see”. Mogens gave a short huff and messed with his hair “I promise you! He doesn’t mind it. He loves helping others”. Jesper nodded and smiled, but didn’t confirm, since he still wasn’t sure about what to do, exactly.

They ate and drank some tea very quickly. Soon enough, the postman made his way to the door and, still holding onto Mogens hand, he wished “have a safe trip, alright?”. The ferryman came closer, held his face and gave him a longing kiss. Then, Jesper couldn’t help but ask once more “are you _really_ sure you don’t want your necklace back? You do take it with you everywhere you go for… Years now, right?”. Mogens nodded calmly and made it clear “I’m sure, Jes. It’s not like I won’t see it again”, and he went to grab the steel palette in hand to take a final look at it for a moment, but he lingered at Jesper’s eyes after. The postman closed the gap between them and kissed him one last time. “I’ll see you in a few days”, he said as he grabbed his bag.

When Jesper stepped outside, he felt the cold straight away, but thankfully, the snow that was falling down was thin. As he walked down the beach, he held tightly to the necklace around his neck. Before continuing, the postman stopped to appreciate the sea and soon enough, he saw Mogens' boat sailing away. He hoped that the ferryman would be back at least before New Year’s, which was in five days.

Jesper reflected if he should bother Klaus with the rebuilt of the post office or not. He knew he had no money left and the whole place needed new windows and doors, in addition to some other things. He didn’t want to go sit in his cold room to think further about what he was going to do, so instead, the postman kept walking down the beach and then went to the edges of the forest.

It all looked so beautiful in that morning light; all covered in fresh snow. He sat by a rock and watched the sun rising. Jesper thought about how much his life had changed in such little time, just like it has been with Smeerensburg. He never thought he would call that town… _Home_. But there he has. And he felt his heart getting warm as the sun came up.


	20. Stolen Youth

From where he sat, the postman could see almost everything. He noticed chimneys starting to smoke, as well as fishermen boats sailing out into the sea. Another day had begun and all was well, except for the mess at the post office. But, after everything, he figured that wasn’t such a bad of a problem to have and besides, a few people had offered to help him with the rebuild. He still needed the materials, though, so he made his mind and decided he was going to pay Klaus a visit, after all.

Appreciating the view for a little while longer, Jesper watched the birds flying high. Then, he got up and made his way to the post office. He hoped that whatever was left there, still in good use, wasn’t looted or drenched.

Before turning the corner to the post office, he saw Alva leaving the tavern near by with a bunch of bags in her hands, so he quickly went to help her, saying “hey! What’s all this?”. Alva made a relieved sound “for you! Me, us, everyone”, which made Jesper frown “come again?”.

She started to walk fast and he followed her with the bags as she went on “we were all waiting for you to start working on the post office. You took your time, mister!", she stopped abruptly, "was it _Mogens_ that kept you busy?", staring at him with a mischievous smile on her face. Jesper rolled his eyes "I was watching the sunrise, excuse me!". Alva tapped him on the back "okay, whatever you say, Jesper".

The postman questioned, as they were about to reach his home and workplace "it is still very early. Who gathered everyone here at this time?". He looked forward once they arrived and saw the white bearded man handling the wood at the front and some other people getting in and out with pieces of glass and broken wood. " _Klaus_ ", Jesper said and she nodded, before explaining "he came to find me at the school. The word got around, you know... Well, in the end, you didn't even need to ask him, huh?". Jesper smiled a bit and then went to the man’s direction "you really didn't have to-", but he didn't get to finish, since the man held up a hand, already expressing "ho, ho, ho, don't even bother, son! Consider this as your Christmas present".

Jesper dropped the bags at a brand new table next to the man and gave him a hug. Klaus was more than happy to squeeze the skinny man in his arms. After that, the postman thanked him and everyone from the bottom of his heart and they soon started to divide the tasks.

There were about ten other people there besides Jesper, Klaus and Alva, so they got everything done nicely and without too much trouble. They cleaned all the mess inside and the new glasses were being set at the windows while Klaus worked on a big piece of wood to make an exquisite and strong entrance door. They made a few breaks to rest, to clean themselves and to eat, but even so, before sundown, everything was already in place.

Everyone went to their homes, but Klaus stayed for longer, since he was still working on the wood slats for the bed it had been broken. It was already dark out and Jesper lighten up candles in his room. As the large man worked, he spoke with the blond man “so... How's everything with Mogens? He went to the mainland, so I heard". Jesper sat down on his chair after tidying up his clothes and such "he's alright, we are... Yeah. He's getting back in a few days".

The postman wasn’t sure if he should tell Klaus about their love, but the ferryman did say Klaus knew all about his past and it was already obvious the bearded man had an idea about what was happening between them. As he opened his mouth to express himself better in that regard, Klaus said it first “did you two figured your hearts out?". Jesper was relieved to hear this, but curious, nonetheless “yeah, we did figure it out… Just like you said we would. By the way, how did you noticed? What did he say to you?".

Klaus had finished working on the wood slats and they both went ahead and grabbed the new mattress that stood on the wall near the stairs to put over it. As they did just that, Klaus explained “ah, Mogens... He is like a son to me, you see? When he got here on this island, he seemed so lost. Lydia and I were pleased to offer him some friendly support. I’m very glad we did that”.

After the mattress was in place, Jesper started to put the sheets at one side and Klaus grabbed it at the other. The man continued “he told me he was falling in love with you and didn't know what to do. He was really nervous about it, like I never seen him before… Ah, love really messes with our hearts and minds, doesn’t it?". Jesper huffed “he always seemed so chill... Around me, at least".

The bed was set and Klaus sat down, while doing funny movements to check if it was steady enough. The bearded man soon added “Mogens knows too well how to act perfectly fine, even if his heart is racing like those reindeers out there in the forest", and Jesper looked down, smiling in joy.

"So, what's next for you, Jesper?", Klaus asked after a moment. The postman faced him and made his way to check the new windows. Looking at the snow falling down outside, he responded “I thought in sticking here for a while… Well, for a long while. I think this is where I'm meant to be, you know?". The bearded man got up from the bed “ho, ho, yes! It will work out great with my plans”, he expressed as he tapped the blond man on the back. Then, he added “we could expand _even more_ next Christmas! More presents, more villages and more children!". Jesper smiled a bunch "a lot of happy kids, huh... I'm good with that. Count me in".

Jesper offered the man a nice cup of tea before he headed up the hill again and, as they drank downstairs, he took the opportunity to ask about what was bugging him all day “what do you really know about Mogens' past? I mean, what else happened to him, besides… His brother's accident?”. The postman soon noticed that Klaus felt uneasy answering such a question, therefore, he quickly clarified “he said you could speak freely to me about him, you know… Whatever you feel like telling me. We didn’t have too much time to talk about these sorts of things yet... Like the scar on his shoulder, for instance?”.

The bearded man lowered his cup and looked carefully at the steam coming out from it. After a small sigh, he described “when Mogens first got to Smeerensburg, he was a sad man, and I could just tell that that wasn't his natural state. He seemed tired of life. He didn't live, but just _survived_. Lydia and I were happy to help him at the start. We helped with food and shelter when he didn’t have any money and the boat was practically falling apart. We managed to sign him to a proper job at the docks after a while. Lydia knew very well how to handle paperwork of the sort. She read all the contracts, so he wouldn't be stuck with a low paycheck with overwhelming demands. We started to see the joy we knew was deep down in him some time after and he soon became what he is now. It was hard when Lydia died, but he helped me a lot through the pain; always joyful and playful, even after all that he had gone through himself”.

Klaus gave another sip at his tea and continued, while Jesper didn’t even touched his cup anymore “he told me all about his brother, I'm sure you know by now that they were really close”, and the postman just nodded. The larger man fixed his beard and spoke again “his parents had a lot of problems; a lot of debts from gambling and drug abuse. Both of them. It was actually his brother who took care of Mogens most of his life. One day, when he was only fourteen, he was in their home with his drunk mother. If I recall correctly, his brother was over eighteen and was at his mistress' house. His father had just lost a big bet and was raging in anger. When he got home, he got in a fight with his wife, that was too drunk to even stand. When Mogens' saw what he was about to do to her, he grabbed a machete blade at the kitchen and jumped on his back. He was strong, but not like his father. The man threw him on the floor, took his machete and… Well, he tried to kill his son”.

Jesper’s heart was racing at the image he pictured inside of his head and he could barely breathe when he thought about what he said before to the ferryman about his own dad “ _sometimes, I wished he would just hit me with his fists instead of his words_ ”. It felt so stupid now; so spoiled and unnecessary. He should be thankful for the life he had with his father, even though he felt depressed through most of his teen years, until he started partying and doesn’t caring about anything anymore. _So, so spoiled_. What was he thinking? And Mogens… What else has he gone through and never spoke a word while Jesper was complaining about the most mundane problems to the man? He felt like finding a fisherman at that very instant to get him to Viksengo. He needed to talk to the ferryman so badly.

Klaus noticed his disturbance and calmed him down “Mogens is tough. He can handle all the adversities life puts in his way. He did become joyful and such after a while, but I never had seen true happiness sparkling in his eyes like it did after _you_ came along. He used to talk about you all the time, even before he told me about how he felt about you. I like to say I knew he loved you even before _he_ did, ho, ho”.

Somehow, those words put some senses in Jesper’s brain and he started breathing normally again. He still felt really bad and stupid about it all, but now, he also felt like he could wait a little while longer to speak with Mogens.

Jesper was still in deep thoughts though, when Klaus interrupted him “don’t be too harsh on yourself. Mogens has a lot of baggage, as I’m sure you do, too. You two can talk more about it between yourselves, but only next year! Ho, ho, ho”. The postman couldn’t help but laugh a little with him “I can’t believe you did the old man classic New Year’s joke”. Klaus got up from his chair and put his scarf on “I am, as a matter of fact, an old man”.

They walked to the door and Jesper commented “I was hoping Mogens would return before New Year’s” so, the bearded man advised “be patient, my son. The coast is busy at this time of year, but soon, he’s here, once again”.

Then, after they said their goodbyes, the postman simply stood at the door for some time, thinking about what Mogens was up to at that very moment. He hoped that the clans couple wasn’t actually in Viksengo anymore and that his lover was safe and sound, to soon return to his arms in Smeerensburg.

He felt his thoughts and eyes shutting down and all he had in mind as he went up the stairs was that nice and soft silk pillow case Mogens' gave him that, luckily, was still in one piece.


	21. Happy New Year

The next days had gone by so slowly. Jesper would go down by the docks every late afternoon to check for Mogens’ return, but the boathouse was never there. He was feeling very tedious, so he occupied his mind at work. The postman took the time to visit all of Smeerensburg again, including the places he had refrained from going in the past and he soon found out it was now safe for him all around. Besides that, the people from those areas actually had mail to be delivered.

Once he got back to the post office and started organizing all the mail he had collected that day, he froze while remembering he had outgoing mail from before Christmas he completely forgot to pass it on to Mogens. His heart skipped a beat at the thought of forgetting the simplest and easiest task he had in that town. Jesper really wanted to be a good and decent postman, so his father had no reason to move him from Smeerensburg and, also… He would make his father _proud_ , for the first time in his life.

He didn’t write to his dad to tell him he had surpassed the mail quota yet, and he probably should let them all know about his accomplishments at that point. It took him a few tries, but some crumpled papers later, he had a letter he was happy with. He kept it short and formal, as it should be, since beyond being his father, the man was also the headmaster of the Royal Postal Service, after all.

When he got up to put his letter alongside the others he had forgotten from before, he noticed they weren’t there anymore. As he reflected upon it, he recalled that Mogens came to the post office a few days back to get him his clothes and boots. The man must’ve taken the outgoing mail and didn’t even mention it. He found it quite funny, that is, the fact that the ferryman even thought about _this_ and literally saved him from a slip his father could focus on: careless and thoughtless delays on the most important and busy time of the year.

The letter to his father would take extra time now, though, but he was happy that he would be having at least a couple of weeks of peace with Mogens, without any judgment or unwanted opinions. He didn’t mention in the letter he was planning on staying in Smeerensburg, since that would depend on his father's response, which he highly expected it would also be through mail and not in person.

Jesper had dinner plans with Alva, therefore, he made his way to the school. As he walked, he encountered the leader of the Krum clan in the main square. The woman spotted him from across the street and came directly towards his direction, already saying midway "hello, Mr. Johanssen". Jesper got startled by that, since nobody had called him by his last name in that town and, also, because that name was always in reference to his father and not him.

“Mrs. Krum”, he greeted, nodding, and she quickly noticed his altered expression. The woman smiled wickedly as she got closer "did you think I didn’t know who you were? You come to _my_ island, take my son away and expect me to not even know the name of my enemies?". The postman huffed and frowned his forehead as he expressed, giving a small step back "I didn't take your son, ma'am-". She abruptly spoke over him "what would your father think about what you do here?".

Jesper narrowed his eyes, crossed his arms and shrugged his shoulders "I deliver letters. That's what I do here. I'm a postman! He would think I did my job". Mrs. Krum had her gaze fixed on him as she enquired, a little louder this time "does he know you lay with _men_? A killer and cursed man, even!", making him gulp and keep his words at a lower tone "Is this a threat? Are you _threating_ me?". The woman moved her hand in the air "I simply made a question".

He lowered his arms, got closer and said, almost in a whisper "it's not of your goddamn business", so her wicked smile appeared again "hum, maybe he does. One extra reason why he dislikes you, I imagine?". She was reading him like a book and Jesper knew it. His hands began to shake, therefore he crossed his arms again, trying to disguise it "well, I work here now, and your son is in love with an Ellingboe. That's hardly my fault". Mrs. Krum looked him up and down “you are just trouble, wherever you go. Your sick mother must’ve been so disappointed in you; you couldn’t even give her any joy at the end. Just fighting with your father all the time, even in front of her! What a spoiled brat you were, and still are. When are you finally going to become a real and grown up man, Mr. Johanssen?”.

Jesper truly didn’t know what to think after hearing that. Did she make contact with his father? What exactly did they talk about? She continued, since he was paralyzed by his thoughts “Mr. Johanssen… Your presence here is ruining my plans”. He was having a hard time focusing on her eyes now, but he forced himself into looking at her face “what would you have me do, huh?”. She sighed and joined her hands at the top of her skirt “I’m glad you asked. You see, your father only knows about how excellent of a postman you are. For now. It seems you’re taking some time to write to him, am I correct? You are still here, after all.”

That was definitely a threat and Jesper felt the anger building up inside of him. He spoke again, but all he could come up with was “don’t you ever get tired of gossiping?”, with a frown on his forehead and a twitch on his eye. The woman fixed her hat and promised “look here, boy. I _will_ have things my way. I always get what I want. Just you watch it!”. The postman couldn’t contain himself so he smirked sarcastically and mocked, even though he was extremely nervous “like you did with your son?”. He was provoking her now and was well aware of it, since the woman had evident hatred in her eyes. She emphasized, stepping close, very near his ear “you will regret ever coming here, Mr. Johanssen”, and she left without even looking at him again.

At his dinner with Alva, he discussed everything that had just happened in the street and she gave him her opinion “well, you gotta be crazy to leave _now_! Everything’s in great harmony in Smeerensburg”. Jesper frowned and, after swallowing his spaghetti, he questioned “you wanted to leave so badly just a little while ago. What changed?”, so Alva explained “I missed teaching… And I realized that I can actually do that here. And live a good life. I’m still going to visit my parents and my friends when Mogens returns to take me, but I’ll be back. And you’re gonna be here to welcome me, mister!”.

The postman dropped his fork on the plate, sat back and gesticulated with his hand, pointing outside “you heard what that crazy woman said to me. Either way, I lose my job here. If she keeps her mouth shut, I just leave to work on another post office somewhere and my father is proud of me, and if he finds out about Mogens, I still lose my job, but also…", he faced down and spoke fearly, "I’m gonna get disowned, most likely”. Alva suggested calmly, still handling her spaghetti with her fork “you could live with him at the boathouse, Jesper. I’m sure he will suggest this himself once you speak with him about all of this. And you could find another job here. But also, she doesn’t have enough supporters anymore. What else could she even do to you?”. Jesper thought about it “yeah, you’re right, but, my father… I was planning on letting him know that I was just gonna live here now, not that I… That I’m _with_ someone”.

Alva drank her water and then asked, plainly “a _man_ , you mean?”. The postman nodded and after a few seconds, he went on “I don’t want to disappoint him”, which made Alva express in a rush “you have a prejudiced father, so what? You gotta live your life, Jesper. You don’t need his approval”. He had his hand on his mouth and was deep in his thoughts when she talked again, with a serious expression on her face “or do you miss the money and luxury?”.

Jesper sat straight again and answered with his arms on the table, in all honesty “I _do_ miss it sometimes; certain aspects of it... But I lived without it and it’s better than my old life”. Alva assured, after finishing her last bite “so it’s settled, then! You’re gonna stay right here. We can handle that crazy old lady. And Mogens too! He could do some spells…”, and she laughed. Jesper just rolled his eyes, more at ease with the situation, and resumed eating.

__

It was already New Year's Eve and Jesper made his way to the docks once again. He crossed his arms as he watched the sea. The snow was a little too heavy to be standing there at that freezing temperature, but soon enough, Alva called for him. They had agreed to meet by the docks to go to Klaus’ cabin together, since the bearded man had invited them to a New Year’s party.

So, when they got there, they found the whole place full with people, more than ever before and with a lot of familiar faces from Christmas. “Where did you found all these people?”, Jesper asked the man once they were alone in the corner by the fireplace. “A simple act of kindness always sparks another”, Klaus said, radiating happiness on his face.

The postman smiled back “well, I’m glad you’re making more friends. The smile…”, and he gesticulated with his finger to the other man’s face as he went on “it suits you”. The bearded man gave a nice and familiar laugh before stepping forward and going for a big hug. Jesper was out of breath just a few seconds in “you really are a hugger, aren’t you?”. Klaus dropped him suddenly, but helped him balance himself. The postman laughed and asked “are you drunk already? It’s only 10 p.m”, so the man put a hand on his belly, expressing “ho, ho, ho. Today, we celebrate! All the happiness, all of our accomplishments, our friendships and our loves”, and he looked at the dining table where there was a woman smiling back at them. The postman tapped Klaus’ back and demanded “who’s _that?!_ Are you dating her?”, for which Klaus suggested “let’s go get another drink and I'll tell you all about it”.

As they talked, Jesper decided he didn’t want to bother the man with his problems with Mrs. Krum, therefore, they just chatted about nice and joyful topics. Apparently, Klaus’ love interest was at the Christmas party too and she lived in one of the nearest Sámi villages they went to deliver the presents. She was a widow like him and she had three kids, but neither of them lived with her anymore. The large bearded man spoke “our loneliness has brought us together, in a way. I've been helping out in her village with some woodman’s work and we got closer. It’s still pretty recent, however. I don’t know where this is heading, if it _is_ heading somewhere”.

After a sip of his drink, Jesper assured “you don’t have to feel guilty, Klaus. You deserve some happiness yourself and I’m sure that’s what Lydia would have wanted for you”. The man smiled back at him and genuinely said “thank you, son”. Then, they kept on drinking as Klaus was telling Jesper more about the mysterious woman that was still glancing at them from time to time.

At the stroke of midnight, they were all outside by a bonfire Klaus had prepared for their celebration. They toasted their drinks and Jesper laughed, shaking “it’s _so damn cold_ out here. Why did you think this was a good idea?”. It was pretty hot close to the fire, but the wind kept whispering louder and louder. Alva commented, also laughing about the situation, “the fire will go out at any second now”. Klaus had his woman on his arms and, as he warmed her by stroking her arms, he said “ho, ho… I think I got too excited. It’s been a while since I made a bonfire”.

Someone held up a guitar and suggested they could sing some songs inside in the warmth, therefore, they all got back in pretty soon. They danced, sang and drank some more. Jesper was so happy, but also so dizzy that, without realizing too much of the events, he was back at his bed, drooling on his soft silk pillow.

The postman was truly hangover on the first day of the year, to no one's surprise. His head injury started hurting again and it had been a few days since it had completely stopped, which made him really irritated. As he sat down on his bed, he looked at the clock and it was 3 p.m. Jesper didn’t mind the time though, since as on Christmas day, nobody would be coming to the post office. He remembered about what happened that day while he massaged his temples and, suddenly, he got startled by a knock on his door.

While he was putting his pants, there was another one, louder and longer this time. It seemed urgent, so he hurried downstairs, still without his shoes or coat. When he opened the door, his worried expression shifted to a nice grin at full tilt as he saw Mogens standing there. The postman immediately got closer to kiss his lover, but stopped as soon as he noticed the man flinching away from him with a distressed look on his face.

He was about to ask what was wrong, but he saw it himself as he looked behind the ferryman. His _father_ was stepping out of the carriage with a suitcase and coming straight to where they were standing. “ _Happy new year, my son_ ”, the man wished, smiling with open arms.


	22. A Fulfilling Life in Smeerensburg

As they hugged, Mr. Johanssen spoke in Jesper’s ear “I’m so proud of you”. The postman looked straight at Mogens behind them with wide eyes and the man himself had a mix of emotions stamped on his face. When they broke apart, Mr. Johanssen stared at his son’s forehead and asked “oh, good heavens! What happened here?”. He went to touch it, but Jesper gave a step back, getting inside of the post office, and questioned in shock “how-, why are you here? How did you talk with Mrs. Krum?!”. The ferryman looked at Jesper with the most puzzle expression, but didn’t say anything. Meanwhile, Mr. Johanssen explained himself, as he lowered his arm and walked inside the place “oh yes, I received a telephone call from Smeerensburg last week. I was certain it was you begging to come back, but, no. It was that lovely lady”, and he laughed shortly.

Jesper was appalled and he couldn’t control what he was feeling. His mind was so fuzzy, still, as he asked Mogens, bluntly “do we even have a telephone on this island?!”. The ferryman gave a cough on his forearm and then expressed “hum… Yes! We do have one, at that Krum Inn in the main square”. Jesper was still staring at the ferryman, even after he finished talking, when his father spoke once again, directing himself towards Mogens with the most obvious tone “that’s all, Captain. You can go now”. The postman quickly said “wait!”, and they both looked at him right away.

He blinked a couple of times and ran a hand through his face before elucidating to his father “are you planning on staying _here_? There’s only one room”. Mr. Johanssen expressed “oh, really?”, and soon added “I guess Smeerensburg really does have the most… Humble post office of all the Academy”, while looking around and then stopping at the door. He went ahead and touched the wood, “but this door, for instance... It seems pretty well preserved”. Mogens scratched his head and didn’t know what to do or even say, while Jesper suggested “you can stay at the Inn Mogens talked about. It seems to be decent. I never been inside, though”.

Mr. Johanssen faced the ferryman “ _Mogens_ , huh? Do you have a surname I can call you respectfully, unlike my son here?”. Jesper rolled his eyes and started to pick at the skin on his lips as the ferryman informed “Brooks, sir”. The postman felt desperately upset about knowing his lover's last name only _now_ and by the fact that it was being directed at his _father_ instead of him. Mr. Johanssen tossed a coin towards Mogens, all of the sudden, and the man barely managed to catch it, “Mr. Brooks, take my suitcase and get me a room in this Krum Inn, why don’t you?”. Jesper stepped forward and exclaimed, a little louder than he originally intended “he’s not your personal concierge”. Mr. Johanssen had a stunned expression on his face when he looked back at his son “ _I beg your pardon?_! What’s the matter with you, lad?”.

Mogens went ahead and raised a hand a bit to touch the postman, but he lowered it swiftly “J-, Mr. Postman, it's fine”. They were both just looking at each other and it was obvious there was a lot of words refrained from being spoken, so Mr. Johanssen questioned “are you two… Friends?”. Jesper returned his attention to his father and abruptly answered “no!”, but soon glanced at Mogens again. He stared at the man’s eyes very briefly before facing down at his hands “I just-, there’s something…”.

Looking up again, he asked the ferryman “can you help me out outside, real quick? I think the horse has a problem with her horseshoe. I can’t handle her by myself". Mogens put his hands inside his pockets and expressed “yeah, we can take a look”. The postman cleared his throat and said “alright, just let me go get dressed”, and he went upstairs to put on his boots and coat as fast as he could.

He almost came down running, but slowed his pace down as he heard them talking “Viksengo is truly a lot different than I remembered. I haven’t been around this area in _years!_ I used to take Jesper’s mother to that pier outside the party saloon when we were younger… It just looks different now. Maybe it was all that celebration feeling last night”.

Jesper finally came close to them and enquired, astounded “did you went to a party together?!”. Mogens was going to say something, but he got interrupted “I met Mr. Brooks there, in fact”. Looking back at the ferryman, he continued “you disappeared before midnight. Probably with a nice lady, right?”, and he chuckled like he already knew the answer for that, so the ferryman scratched his head and just lied “sure”. The postman went to the door and started pushing Mogens’ outside “I’ll be back in a bit, alright, dad? Make yourself… At home”.

The ferryman took Mr. Johanssen's suitcase back to the carriage and then they went to the small barn next to the post office, where Jesper kept his horse. As soon as they were out of sight, Mogens began to explain himself “just so you know, I wasn’t feeling up to party with a bunch of strangers, so I went back to the boat-“, but the postman cut him off by grabbing the man by the shirt and pushing him to a wall. He kissed his lips ferociously. Mogens held his face and retributed the kiss with the same intensity.

Then, the ferryman smiled while catching his breath "calm down. Your dad might hear us", but Jesper just looked deep in his eyes and affirmed " _I missed you_ ”, peeking down to his lips, so Mogens kissed him again, for longer this time. He really missed the blond man and that feeling, too.

After a while, Jesper questioned “what's he doing here? What did he tell you?”. The ferryman's smile disappeared from his face and he shared, caressing Jesper's cheek “he said he came to take you away; to ‘ _rescue you_ ’ from this place”. Jesper gripped stronger at the ferryman's shirt “I’m not going anywhere”, and he kissed the man once more, shortly.

He went on, very close to Mogens' face “there’s a lot we need to talk about. Can I go to the boathouse tonight?”. Mogens had a curl on his lips now and he assured “of course”, while fixing the postman’s hair. Then, he added “I’ll just take Alva and some other people to the mainland, but I’ll be back tonight”. Jesper nodded, bit his lips and looked down “hey, hum... I talked to Klaus… About you”, and he touched Mogens’ chest over his shirt where his scar was. He looked into his eyes again and expressed “I’m sorry about what happened to you. All of it. And I’m sorry for complaining about my _foolish_ problems with my father to you. I had no idea, I-“. The ferryman nodded negatively and touched the man’s cheeks as he asserted “it’s alright, Jes. Every pain is felt; every pain is valid to each person. You can’t compare sufferings. We all suffer through different things in different ways… And how we choose to cope with it help us make us who we are today”.

Jesper nodded, touched foreheads with the man and breathed heavily, still pressing his hand over the scar. Then, he asked “does your father knows where you are? Do you think he would want to finish what he started?”. Mogens kissed Jesper’s cheek so softly and went to hug him tight “he doesn’t know. Nobody from that town knows, I don’t think. They live far away from here and it's been _years_. Don’t worry about these things, Jes. I’m safe here and so are you, ok?”. The postman gulped and didn’t say anything, so Mogens broke the hug apart and asked, with a worried expression “you _are_ safe here, right? Did something else happen?", his heart starting to beat faster, "what was that about Mrs. Krum?”.

They heard a noise coming from the post office and, shortly after, Mr. Johanssen cursing, so Jesper said “I’ll tell you about it tonight, ok? I need to go back in there”, and he stepped away. Mogens’ grabbed him by the arm, pulled him back and held him by the waist for one last eager kiss, before they went apart for that afternoon.

“What’s going on?”, the postman asked once he saw his father trying to light up the fire. “This isn’t bloody working! How do you do it?”, Mr. Johanssen argued. Jesper watched the ferryman leaving as he was closing the door, before going to actively help his dad. And so the fire was lit in a matter of seconds. His father had a perplexed look when he made his remark “impressive”, and went to sit on Jesper’s chair.

“Not working today, I see?”, the man continued. The postman crossed his arms and just stood there “nobody is gonna send letters at the first day of the year, dad”. His father crossed his legs, put his hands over his knees and said, with a serious tone “you can’t never know. There could be an emergency”. Jesper huffed and frowned his eyebrows “it takes _days_ for a letter to be delivered to the mainland. What kind of a emergency would wait _that_ long?”.

For some reason, his father was smiling, therefore, the postman couldn’t help but ask “what? What is it?”, and the man expressed “you seem changed! A _man_ , doing an admiring job with excellency... I heard no complaints, whatsoever. I am really proud of you, my son”. Jesper went to sit on the chair at the other side of the table and he looked down at his hands. “What did you talk with Mrs. Krum about?”, he soon asked.

His father ignored his question and pointed out instead “when were you planning on writing me, Jesper? _You did it!_ You accomplished the challenge I put out for you. Aren't you happy with yourself?". The postman sighed and faced his father "yes, I am. I'm very happy to be here. I'm sorry it took me little while. In fact, it's right here, look!", and he got up to get the letter he had written him. Consequently, Mr. Johanssen read it all and enquired at the end "what do you mean by 'outstanding performance in the Smeerensburg's post office that will hopefully continue on the same pace and care’?".

Jesper reflected at how vague he actually made that letter. He decided to just say it "I was thinking I could keep working here, I mean, even _beyond_ the mail quota". His father frowned and questioned "you don't want to get back home? To your butler and your silk sheets?!", and Jesper sat back down again "I-, no. I am actually happy here. I did something important". Mr. Johanssen had a suspicious aura hovering over him "Jesper... what's happening? I know you well enough to know you despise a weather like this and...", after a look around, the man carried on "a simpler life without any pampering". Jesper ran a hand through his hair, then pressed both of his hands together on the table "I did really good work here, right? I'm the _best_ postman this town has even seen! I think I should still be here to keep things in check". Mr. Johanssen was well impressed. It was evident.

But, soon enough, the man explained his thoughts, "it is exactly because you are now an excellent postman that I was going to suggest you to work in the city, close to the house. You don’t want that?". Jesper didn’t know what to say. He needed to be careful with his words, but his heart was racing so much that he couldn’t think on a proper answer. Mr. Johanssen sat up straight and leaned forward, already speaking again "I... miss you, my son. I'm glad this little _experiment_ worked out, but you can come back home now, as a responsible and respectful man to honor our family name! I need to teach you the ways of the Academy to someday, hopefully, you can take my place".

Jesper was still thinking about what he could say to all of that, but what other reason was there to stay in Smeerensburg? He didn't want to look desperate, so he just blathered "I could stay for just another year then, huh? What do you say? I feel like I can beat my letter quota from last year. This would be a huge challenge for me, right? Can you imagine the honor if I succeed?!", and he gave a forced and nervous laugh. His father was quiet, just staring at him, and he soon said "what's really going on, son? You got yourself... A _girl_ here or something of the sort?". Jesper’s mind was running a million miles per hour and he thought about the most absurd possibilities. He could get Alva to play his girlfriend so his dad would approve his love there, but then he remembered she was just about to leave to visit her hometown. Besides that, Mrs. Krum wanted him gone and his dad had called her a " _lovely lady_ ". Also, he thought on the fact that she would certainly tell his father all about the ferryman and him if he didn’t left the island soon.

He was definitely not on the winning side there, so, he simply let out "no... No girl. I just want to work here for a little while longer. What's the big deal, anyway?". Mr. Johanssen got up from his chair, walked around and leaned on the table next to his son, "I'm a little confused, Jesper. What's in it for you?". Jesper tried to sound detached from it all as he looked up to the man "what do you mean, _what's in it for me?_ ". His father quickly recalled "everyone is out to _get_ something. You always say this yourself. You seem... _So different,_ son". It was, in fact, something Jesper used to say a lot and he soon responded "well, I get gratification for my work! Isn't that enough?", smiling nervously.

Mr. Johanssen hummed and looked around once more, "and do you like living here, in this place?", in which Jesper guaranteed "yes!", but soon realized he sounded _too_ excited, since the post office was so far away from his luxurious life from before. He shortly corrected himself, after clearing his throat "I mean... I got used to it with time. I got no complaints anymore".

The mood was shifting so much at that room that Jesper began to feel dizzy and sweat was already building up on his temples. That conversation was _exhausting_ and it kept dragging on and on. Mr. Johanssen spoke again "well, I was ready to get you home with me; first thing in the morning on the next ferry ride. Do you feel fulfilled here?". Jesper was honest and straight forward "more than I ever felt in my life, father".

Getting close to the fire now, Mr. Johanssen said, putting his hands out to get them warm “I’m pleased to know my ideas had successfully put some senses into your head. So, I’ll allow you to come back working here _next year!_ My right arm at the Academy just had a baby and it will work out just perfectly. He gets one year off to be with his newborn child, you get your higher training in what I do, per say, and then, if at the end of the year you still prefer to simply deliver letters instead of handling management with me, you can stay here for a long as you like”. Jesper had a knot on his throat and all he could say was “but…”.

His father fixed his tie and came close to him again “excellent! Ah, this is wonderful, my son. This year already started really promising”. The man had a big smile on his face as he patted his son on the back. Jesper couldn’t say anything, because he knew this was going to get discussed with Mrs. Krum later. He needed to talk to Mogens first and see what the man thought about moving in together so fast into the relationship. Jesper would disappoint his father, no doubt, but he was determined to put his own happiness first. He reflected upon what Alva said to him and she was right; if his father had problems with who he was, he should just let him go and live his life without his approval, free to love whoever he loves.

Jesper gave his father a ride to the Inn after their discussion and, on the way there, he decided that if everything worked out with Mogens, _he_ would tell his father everything. He wasn’t going to leave room for Mrs. Krum and her gossip mouth and, furthermore, the man deserved, at least, to hear it all from his own son.

Before parting ways, Mr. Johanssen warned “I’ll be expecting you at the docks at 8 a.m. Don’t oversleep! It’s the last ferry ride for the next five days”. The postman just nodded and the carriage was moving once again, as he guided his horse to the tavern close to the docks.


	23. I Feel You Through the Fire, Lover

Jesper took his time at the tavern to put something in his stomach, since he hasn’t eaten all day. His head was still hurting a bit, so he ordered a glass of water with his food. He chose a table by the window, where he could see the sea and the docks easily. Although that was a Krum tavern, there was some Ellingboe people there as well and everyone was getting along just fine.

A little while after he was finished with his food, he saw Mogens’ boat coming in the distance as the sun was setting, therefore, he quickly paid his bill and left the tavern.

When he stepped outside, Jesper bumped into the nice woman who had mailed honey to her daughter a while back and she was, in fact, pulling a cart down the street with honey pots in it. As the postman got closer, he spoke “good evening, ma’am, how are you doing? How’s your daughter?”. The woman stopped and smiled at him “oh, postman! Hello to you. We are doing very well, thank you. Actually, there was great news in that last letter you delivered me a couple of days ago. My daughter is coming to visit me soon and she is expecting her second child!”. Jesper had a genuine smile on his face when he congratulated her “that’s really nice to hear! Please, give her my best regards when she gets here”.

The woman was grabbing a pot from her cart as she was saying “yes, I sure will, laddie!”, and then, she came closer “this is for you, on the house”. Jesper moved his hands in the air and assured “oh, there’s no need, ma’am-“, but she insisted, already putting the pot on his chest “it’s my way to say thanks for your services, especially for helping to make this town safe. My daughter was happy to hear about how things are going around here and she’s bringing my grandson with her. It’s been months since I last saw him… He must be so big!”. The postman gripped the honey pot quick, since the woman was already letting go of it “well, thank you! I’m really happy I could help with that”.

The woman pinched his red cheek and expressed with the biggest smile “what a sweet boy you are! You look a lot more handsome when you’re happy. You used to look so sick, I was worried you would be dead at any given moment!”, which made the postman laugh “don’t worry, I’m feeling very happy. I got used to this place, except the _cold_. I still dislike this weather very much so”. The woman took the handle of her cart again and before she left, she commented “oh laddie, let me give you a nice tip for a hot drink, and it’s not just because I sell honey, but add a couple of spoons of it in a cup of hot cocoa and, also, a few orange slices. You’ll get the best hot cocoa of your life!”. Jesper frowned, since it sounded like an explosion of flavors, but he smiled at the idea, nonetheless “I’ll definitely try that”.

As Jesper got to the docks, he waited until the boat fully reached its destination. He soon began to walk the wooden path that led to the boat and Mogens shouted, once they were in range of hearing "damn, aren't ya in a hurry to see me, sunshine?". The postman lifted his eyebrows and smiled shy, since there were other people on board about to get off. After everyone passed trough him and left, Mogens came down from his cabin and asked, as he was grabbing the rope “what’s that you got there?”. Jesper looked at the pot and then at the man again with the proudest grin “honey! It’s a gift for my _excellent_ work here”.

The ferryman smirked “well done. You deserve this pot of honey and much more, dear”, and then, he tossed the rope to Jesper, that caught it quickly with one hand. He huffed incredulously "if you think I can tie those weird knots you boat people do, you are highly mistaken". Mogens jumped off the boat onto the wooden path and landed right in front of the blond man. He said it low, very close to his face "I'll show you". He took the pot of Jesper's hand and knelt on the floor. Jesper followed and listened to his instructions, messing up a few times, but he managed to save the progress he had made.

At the end, they stood back up and the postman gave a big final pull at the rope, which seemed firm enough. Very proud of himself, he gloated "you see? Not a problem! _Of course_ I knew how to do that. I could have done it blindfolded, even". Mogens gave a big chuckle and messed with his hair with one hand, since he was holding the pot of honey with the other. In an instant, he hugged Jesper and, after kissing his cheek, Mogens suggested "it's really cold. You want to sit inside by the fire?", so they went to do just that.

After taking their coats and boots off, and also putting a few cushions and blankets on the floor next to the fireplace, they sat on it and drank a honey-lemon tea Mogens had just prepared for them. It was a quiet night, besides the wind howling outside, and they were silent for a little while. Jesper had his legs crossed and was closer to the fire, while Mogens stretched his legs and watched his lover from a little further back, laying at his side. It was nice and everything was okay.

Mogens noticed that Jesper had his eyes really lost in the fire and was drinking his tea in an automatic way, so he moved to mess with the man. He touched his shoulder "hey, Earth to Jesper", and soon got back to his position from before. The postman blinked a few times and turned back at him "sorry, I was just... Thinking". Mogens finished his tea and put it aside. Then, he smiled and asked "care to share?". Jesper swept his hair back "yeah. How do you feel about me moving in?". Mogens had his mouth open by the stun reaction "you want to move in... _Here?_ ", and he pointed to the floor. After scratching an eye briefly, Jesper looked down at his cup "I'm sorry if I’m being invasive, or abrupt... It's because I won't be able to live in the post office anymore". Mogens was confused as he sat up "what, why? You just got the place all fixed up... For the _second time!_ What happened?". Jesper gave a sigh and put his cup at the floor in front of him "Mrs. Krum happened".

After Jesper explained everything, he finished saying "she will tell my father about us if I don't leave. She really wants the clans back together”, and he started messing with the blankets, not looking at the ferryman. Mogens’ had a frown on his forehead as he tried to comprehend "what's getting rid of ya gonna do? The damage is done, everyone's happy already! This town don’t want no clans back together". Jesper looked up with the saddest eyes "I don't know, maybe she just _hates me_. Because of her son, as well… I-, I don’t know".

Mogens soon asked with a serious, but calm tone "your father doesn't know about you?", and the postman scratched his temple close to his scar as he expressed “I _think_ he knows. I never told him, exactly, but he must have his assumptions. I couldn't say for sure. He dislikes me on so many levels that I don’t even know the real reason why we are fighting about, most of the time". Mogens was reflecting and he looked at the fire when he spoke again “so, you aren’t totally certain he _wouldn't_ approve? Maybe he can surprise you. I’m sure he misses you by now". Jesper was a little nervous thinking about what in the world happened inside of his father’s head, but he just affirmed with confidence “believe me, I'm sure".

After a short while, the ferryman questioned again “and your plan is to stay here, with me?". Jesper gazed the man "well... If you'll have me", and he starting talking faster, "you won't have to _support_ me in any way, I'll get another job somewhere, I'll-", but Mogens interrupted him “that's not the problem at all, Jes. I'll be happy to have ya. I'm just asking if this is something that you thought about before... I mean, if it’s something that you _really_ want, or if it's just because of the situation with the post office...?".

The postman just stared at him for a moment and confessed “yeah, no... I haven't thought about this before, but I truly want this, anyway. If you want". Their eyes met and they remained in silence, until the ferryman settled "I do. I want you close to me. Come here”, and he gestured with his hand.

Jesper went close to Mogens, that had his arms open for him. He sat with his back to the ferryman's chest, in between his legs, and was held by the man, that said into his ear, with an out-breath smile “I never wanted something this badly in my life, Jesper”. The postman grinned and put an arm back to caress Mogens’ hair behind his ear and then his face, as he turned a bit to give him a soft kiss on the lips. He rested his head on the ferryman’s chest, sighed and looked forward to the fire again, still smiling.

The ferryman pulled the necklace from under the postman's shirt and asked “have you took good care of it?”. Looking down at Mogens' hand resting on his chest with the steel palette in between his fingers, he assured “of course. I haven’t taken off ever since you gave me”. Mogens kissed the blond man on the temple “that’s nice to hear”, and held him tight with both of his arms, while looking at the fire, as well.

After a moment, Mogens commented “I missed you a lot these last few days”. Jesper enquired “oh, yeah? What did you miss about me?”, so the ferryman spoke low into his ear “I missed your smile, your laugh, the sound of your voice, our talks, the way you make me feel…”, and he started kissing the postman’s neck, who bit his lip under the grin he had on his face. Jesper’s heart was beating fast and he teased “what else?”. The ferryman had a hand on his neck and was now kissing his ear “I missed your touch and your sent”, and he breathed his blond hair in as he trailed his hand down the postman’s chest. Their lips met as Jesper turned back and their tongues danced together.

Mogens was reaching down by then, so he went ahead and unbuttoned Jesper’s pants, exploring deeper. He took the man’s dick on his hand and stroked it lightly. They were lost in their passionate kiss and, after a few moments, Jesper gripped a hand onto the man’s hair as he look forward, down at the act. He licked his lips and gave a deep breath before holding onto Mogens’ thighs with both of his hands. The ferryman had a good rhythm going, always teasing and slowing it down every time Jesper moaned more sharply, about to reach his peak. The postman let out a light laugh in between his heavy breaths and sank further onto the man’s chest “c’mon. Keep going”.

He got back into grabbing Mogens’ hair in his fingers as the man got more elaborate with his strokes, giving extra attention to his slit now, which sent shivers through his whole body. The grip on the ferryman’s hair got tighter as he screamed his name “oh, fuck. _Mogens!_ ”, in between groans. The ferryman kissed his biceps and then was back on his neck and cheek, holding onto Jesper's chest with his other hand.

Shortly, Mogens rested his head on the postman’s shoulder and, touching cheeks, he watched the anticipation, as the moans became louder, until Jesper’s cum shots covered his hand. The postman was out of breath when he ran a hand on his face to swipe the sweat. Suddenly, Mogens took his hand to his lips and licked one of his fingers up. Jesper had his mouth half open and he soon questioned “what are you doing?”, still a little breathless. The ferryman huffed and said “I wanna know what you taste like”. The postman moved to grab Mogens' chin and he quickly licked the man's lips. He could taste a bit of his own cum.

He felt Mogens’ hard cock under him as he moved and wondered “I bet you taste better”, and then he buttoned his pants back and fully turned around to unbuttoned Mogens’, who exclaimed in surprise “what, are you gonna suck me off?”. He was already so aroused just by the thought of Jesper’s tongue on his dick when the postman came close to his face with a provocative smile and pecked him on the lips fast once more before getting down on him. He licked the whole extent of Mogens’ cock, from the base up, looking straight at the man and then went to deep throat his member. He swallowed the whole thing down and soon backed off a bit to lick around the head. Jesper was jerking him off with his hand underneath, but then he slowly took it in his mouth again, inch by inch. Mogens couldn’t stay silent; he was moaning in pleasure almost non-stop.

Eventually, the ferryman grabbed down to the blond hair and held on to it, as Jesper swirled his tongue around the head and sucked the precum out of his slit. With the arousal increasing more and more at the constant and hot stimulation, Jesper pulled back, but kept his mouth open as he tapped and squeezed Mogens’ cock on his tongue. Pretty soon, the ferryman released on his lover's tongue, that swallowed most of it with great exhilaration.

Jesper supported himself, still on top of the man, and cleaned his lips. The ferryman asked with a grin “how was that?”, and listened in return “that tasted terrible”, so they both started laughing. Jesper went closer and held his lover's cheek, while giving him an in-breath peck on the lips before getting up. Mogens buttoned his pants as the postman took a sip of the last remaining of his tea to use it as a mouthwash. After that, he spitted into the fire and held out a hand to help the ferryman up.

They were staring and smiling at each other, but then, Jesper sighed and informed “my father is coming here at 8 a.m tomorrow”, for which Mogens suggested “maybe you should talk to him before that. Go meet him at the Inn, when he’s not yet ready to leave with you. I think it’s probably better”. Jesper puckered his lips and started messing with the ferryman’s shirt “yeah, that _is_ probably better. He won’t want to sail with you after that, though. Do you know about someone else who can take him back to the mainland?”. Mogens’ quickly said “yeah, the Krum folks have a bunch of fishermen. They could take him, if he really doesn’t want to go with me”. Jesper touched the other man’s face and concluded “alright, then”, before giving him another sweet kiss on the lips. Then, as they lay down to sleep, Mogens’ assured he would wake him at 7:30 a.m.

The next morning, Jesper felt something funny on his face and he woke up already smiling as he saw a feather going up and down his face. He turned on his back and looked straight up as he stretched both of his arms, before scratching his face and turning back to face the ferryman, who was smiling back at him, still playing with his feather. “No honey this time?”, Jesper questioned, as he remembered the feather and honey prank the man had pull on him before. It felt like so long ago. The postman tried to take the feather a couple of times while Mogens teased him with it.

The ferryman then lifted his eyebrows as he recalled that prank too and Jesper went on “I’m surprised, since there’s actually a pot of honey here”. Passing the feather through Jesper's nose quickly, Mogens said “oh, I’ll go grab it, then”, but the postman held his wrist hard, preventing him from leaving the bed. “No, you won’t!”, he assured, pulling his lover for a kiss.

They kept kissing for a while, until the postman asked abruptly “what time is it?!”. The ferryman looked over him at the clock on the nightstand “7:41 a.m”. In a rush, Jesper was out of the bed, looking for his boots. Mogens lay back and just watched him. After a chuckle, he commented “chill, champ, you aren’t missing a ferry or anything. Worst case scenario, you meet him on the way here”.

The postman was putting his last item of clothing on his body, his scarf, but he had to take it off again to untangle the fabric. He was already irritated with the smallest things, since his mind was only around his father now and how their conversation would go down. He frowned and cursed before he managed to untangle the scarf and actually put it on his neck this time. Mogens was still just observing everything unfold and he mocked “goddamn, your dad is in for a treat today!”.

Before leaving, Jesper went to the bed again and, inches away from the ferryman’s face, he said “fuck off”, but curled up his lips and gave him a shallowly kiss right after. In a matter of seconds, he was out the door.

\--

On his way to the Krum’s Inn, Jesper pulled his necklace up his shirt and sighed, remembering he still haven’t given it back to Mogens. It was his brother’s necklace, after all, and he didn’t want to keep it forever. Getting close to the Inn, he passed through the main square clock that marked 7:55 a.m. He didn’t saw his father on the way to the docks, so the man was definitely still there. Getting inside the place for the first time ever, he was startled on how luxurious it actually was, so much fancier than everything else in that town.

“I’m sure your house in the big city pleases you best”, Jesper soon heard. He looked behind him and saw Mrs. Krum with a big smile on her face. He cleared his throat and demanded “Where’s my father? I need to speak with him”. The woman approached him, with her air of superiority “oh, I think you missed him. He already left. He must be waiting for you at the post office right about now”. The postman frowned his eyebrows “the _post office?_ But, why-“, and the woman got as close as she could now. With a dreadful smile, she informed “you two need to talk, for certain. So, off you go, then. Don’t keep your father waiting. It’s rude to disrespect your elders”.

Jesper was already breathing hard in confusion as he made his way to the post office. What did that woman do now? Did she really tell his father about Mogens, not even giving him the chance to do it himself, as he planned? It didn’t matter, anyway, because he _wasn’t_ leaving, even with the eminent treat of losing his job, that was certainly coming his way.

When he opened the door of the post office, he soon lay eyes on his father, that was sitting on his chair, already with a look of disapproval. “Had a night off, I see?”, Mr. Johanssen questioned, and Jesper closed the door behind him.


	24. Postman’s Gambit

Jesper just stood there, still in front of the door, with his mouth half open. His father questioned “well? You don’t have anything to say for yourself?”. The postman gulped and started speaking, at last “I was…”, but he stopped as he looked down at his hand and realized he was shaking. Then, he turned his hand into a fist and looked up again. After a heavy breath, he continued “did Mrs. Krum told you?”. Mr. Johanssen got up from his chair and came close “about your… _Bond_ with that ferryman? Yes, she did”. Jesper couldn't look away. His chest was going up and down as he gave intense breaths, but his eyes was fixed on his father. He said "I guess that's it then, huh? Am I fired?".

Mr. Johanssen went to take something from inside of his fancy suit. It was a gold cigarette case and, after opening it, he offered one to Jesper, that denied it with a stiff nod. Lighting it up, the man remarked "did you stop smoking too? Is there any more surprising news?". The postman hasn’t had a cigarette since he got to Smeerensburg. One thing he highly despised even more so than cold weather was the taste of cheap cigarettes and, sadly, that seemed to be the only ones available on that island, as far as he looked within the first weeks. Eventually, he figured it was the perfect time to cleanse his mind and body anyway, as from his father and also, from cigarettes.

While Mr. Johanssen smoked, it was all collapsing in Jesper’s brain already, so he begged "please, just let me keep working here". His father tossed his lighter and case at the table aggressively. He spoke in a higher tone this time, pointing his finger at his son's face "you will stop _embarrassing_ me, Jesper! I brought you here so you could have a future, a purpose in life, not to mess around". Jesper shouted over him "that's _exactly_ what I got here: a future and a purpose!", but he got slapped hard on the face.

The postman backed off with incredulous eyes. He took a hand over his cheek underneath the hair that had fallen onto his face and just looked at his father with his mouth open, in shock. That was the first time in his life that his dad had lay a finger on him. And it hurt, not just physically. It was obvious on Mr. Johanssen's expression the distress he felt about it too, but he didn’t seem regretful, as he took another long drag of his cigarette.

Mr. Johanssen said, after the uncomfortable silence that filled the room "you will listen to me, now. Mrs. Krum was kind enough to provide us a boat to leave. They can take us back to the mainland still today”. Jesper lowered his hand and informed, with watery eyes “I won’t be leaving with you, father”, and the man gave a step further in an instant, making the postman flinch, expecting to get slapped again.

“Pardon me?!”, Mr. Johanssen scolded and, right after, he noticed something on his son's chest. Mogens’ _necklace_ was in plain sight. His father had a baffled look when he remarked "M. He even _tagged_ you already! You belong to him now? My own flesh and blood, to that... Barbarous man?!". Jesper quickly grabbed the necklace and put it inside of his shirt as he was saying "dad...". His eyes were shining with tears inside of them.

Mr. Johanssen redirected his look to the postman’s face and red cheek as he expressed, in an ordinary tone “why can’t you just be _normal_ , Jesper?”, which made the tears run down Jesper’s face, at last. Although, he had an expressionless look when he countered “why couldn’t you ever love me as I am, father?". Mr. Johanssen gave one last drag and tossed the cigarette into the fire, as he went close to it. Looking at the flames, he recalled "you were always a… _Peculiar_ child".

Jesper swiped the tears from his face and affirmed "you don't have to love me, dad. I don’t need your love, anyway. I just ask you to respect my wishes. But I will stay in Smeerensburg, with or without working on this post office". His father turned to face him and shouted "he’s _ten years_ older than you!", which made the postman feel a hush of blood going through his veins. He walked swiftly to the man, shouting back "is that really your concern, father? Just say it! Say what you wanna say", so his dad exploded "I won't admit you being a _poof_ while holding my name, boy! You are _dishonoring_ an entire family generation with your choices!". Jesper gave a short and dry laugh as he nodded, scratching his chin and lifting his eyebrows.

Turning back to the table, his eyes soon found the fancy cigarettes lying there. He gave in and took one. Leaning on the table and facing his dad again, he lightened it up. Neither of them said anything right away, so the postman just smoked in silence, looking blankly to nowhere in particular.

Finally, his father expressed, with a calmer voice "you must know I never intruded on your personal affairs. I let you do as you pleased after your mother died, up until now; until I made you come to this island. I always turned a blind eye and pretended I wasn't aware of… Your _preferences_. But you must grow out of it, now. You will find a good woman in the city, son. Let’s just go home and get this over it". Mr. Johanssen went to grab his son by the shoulder, but Jesper moved his hand up before the man could reach him. "Don't fucking touch me", he cursed, before giving a shaky drag of his cigarette. “Language, boy”, his dad warned, but he just got a hateful look in return.

Soon enough, Jesper noticed he had an anxious leg bounce going and he started messing with his cigarette in a frenetic way on top of his knee in the attempts to ease the involuntary non-stop movement. His father tried to made up his son’s mind once more “that man… He is not good for you, Jesper. And is not _just_ because he is a man. Haven’t you heard the things he did? Not the mystic crap, but the murderers... His own brother! What makes you think he won't get tired of you and maybe try to get rid of you too? How can you trust that man after such little time?”. Getting no response, Mr. Johanssen was feeling impatient, so he whispered while looking up the ceiling "I knew I should have remarried and had other children!”. He faced Jesper again and questioned “what about our family legacy?! Don’t be so selfish!"

The excruciating silence felt so heavy now and Jesper had no strengths anymore to keep fighting over it, so he simply said in a low lone, tracking the smoke from his cigarette with his eyes "just leave". His father sighed and argued "I hoped it didn't need to get to this…". The postman looked up to his father’s face with a frown. The man walked over the table and sat back down on the chair. He explained "I'm trying to offer you a chance to be a decent man, to work with me in the city, to give you a luxurious life again...", he stopped to reflect for a moment, but then continued, in a more dangerous tone "some has so much and still take it for granted, while others have nothing. Mr. Brooks has a nice boathouse... I imagine it must've costed all his money to get. Or to reform, at least. It's not much still, but it's worth something. If the authorities knew of his whereabouts, he would most likely end up in jail, since he has a ‘property’, per say, to pay for what he owes”.

Jesper's heart started racing again. " _What?_ ", he said, in a short breath, turning around to face his father. Mr. Johanssen looked him in the eye and assured "oh, not _him_ , exactly! But his family’s debt”. Mr. Johanssen took the letter his son had written him that was still on the table and started to unfold it. He proceeded “it wasn't so hard to locate a Brooks family. A fishermen family that went through hellish times related to sea tragedies... Funny thing, is a small town not too far from our city! I managed to get his own father on the telephone just this morning. Thankfully, they have a tavern there with a brand new and working telephone. As a matter of fact, his father is _so curious_ to know where in the world has his son hid himself…".

The postman had anger and terror exposed in his eyes as he listened. Mr. Johanssen went on "that boat would only cover half of their debt, though, if even that! But it would be a nice down payment. He _owes_ it to his family, after all. But, also!", he smiled looking at the letter on his hands, "the best part about it: a _family reunion_ , after so many years. I think Mr. Brooks would like that very much. The _father_ , I mean". Jesper was holding back the tears that had accumulated in his eyes again and Mr. Johanssen simply kept talking, while ripping the letter to shreds “his father seemed a little… Rough over the telephone. It’s been ten years since he last saw his son, did you know that?”.

The postman swallowed dry and asked, defeated "why are you doing this?". His father said as he got up and stood next to him "look here, son. I promised them I would cover their debt from the goodness of my heart, and I didn't specify anything about the ferryman and where he's at. I feel like that would be the right thing to do for that poor family, don't you think?".

Jesper felt sick. He already knew his dad would never approve his relationship with Mogens, but that had gone so much further than he could've ever imagined. His own father was threatening him now. Mr. Johanssen threw the pieces of paper into the fire and advised, touching the postman on the shoulders "you must tell him you are leaving and because you _want_ to yourself. For his own sake, son. And make him believe it! I don't need that man chasing after you in my house".

His father took his lighter and case back from the table, leaving a few cigarettes behind "a little treat for you, in case you need to calm your nerves". Then, going to the the door, he finished "pack your bags. We meet at the beach at noon. I think that’s enough time for you to speak with Mr. Brooks".

After his father left, Jesper felt the desperation even more so than before. He couldn't believe what was happening. If Mogens' father knew where his son was, he would most likely come to town and who knows what would happen between them! If an assassination attempt took place, the ferryman would finish dead or, at least, arrested, and his boat would be confiscated to pay for the family's debt.

Jesper took another cigarette and went to light it up at the fire. He put a hand on the wall next to it as he smoked, looking down at the flames, still stunned. Then, he leaned back fully on the wall and drifted down, ending up sitting on the floor. His head went to his knees as he thought of a solution. Mogens wasn’t even at the docks at that time, since he had his last trip scheduled at 8 a.m.

He kept on smoking, trying to come up with ideas, but that was it. End of the line. He surely needed to stop being selfish; stop thinking about himself and do this, _for Mogens' sake_. Right now, his biggest concern was figuring how he was going to make his false feelings of detachment believable to the man he loved.


	25. A Bloody Goodbye

It was still early in the morning, but the ferryman would only return as Jesper was about to leave, most likely. His trips to the mainland usually took the whole morning. The postman went to pack his things and while he did so, he wished he never came to Smeerensburg, in the first place. He was heartbroken and was soon to break yet another heart. Jesper thought about what he was going to say to Mogens, but it was hard to even think about it.

Once he finished packing, he took a last look at his drawers and found the wooden bird he carved. The object was washed after it was used to strike him on the head, but there were still a few traces of blood in between the cracks. He never intended to throw it away because it was the first carving he made on that island, so, it reminded him of everything he had gone through there. Even being related to such an unpleasant time now, he felt like it was an important part of his trajectory. It seemed pointless to take the carving with him in the present situation, since it would only become a reminder of the life he could’ve had with Mogens; a life that would soon be left behind, therefore, after getting down the stairs, he put the wooden bird on top of his table and took a look at the room for the very last time. The postman felt a knot in his throat when his eyes landed on the windowsill. Quick glimpses of the times he had spent with the ferryman on that window came rushing in his mind, and he sighed. He took his bag in hand and left before he got too emotional about it.

There was nobody at the docks when Jesper got there and the air was freezing. He was feeling so anxious as he played back in his head the reasons he was going to give the ferryman to end it all, and it wasn’t looking too good for him. He thought he was going to pass out.

Suddenly, he recalled about a mural with the boat schedules at the tavern's window, so he went there to take a look. That was, indeed, Mogens’ last trip for the next four days now. It would've been the perfect time to stay and enjoy this small break with the man he loved but, instead, he would be miserable at his house in the big city.

Jesper felt his heart beginning to race when he saw that the arrival for the ferry would be at 11:30 a.m. Therefore, there was only half an hour to say goodbye to Mogens forever. Maybe that was for the best though, since it was going to be such a dreadful farewell, and with many things left unsaid.

\--

Jesper wanted to say goodbye to Klaus as well so, he went up the hill. However, after knocking several times, the bearded man didn't seem to be home. He was probably in his woman’s place, at the Sámi village. The postman sat on the front steps, looked at his horse and vented “looks like it’s only you and me, girl. I hope I get to keep you with me in the city. You will be my only friend”.

Then, he opened his bag and grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil, so he could leave at least a note for the man. He knew that whatever he wrote would be perceived as untruthful after Mogens talked to Klaus about the last conversation they were about to have in a short while, but he wrote it, anyway:

_“I'm sorry. Please know it was never my intention to hurt anyone. Take care of yourself, Alva and Mogens, especially. He will need you after I’m gone”._

He folded the paper and slid under the door before leaving in his carriage. 

\--

Back at the main square, he looked at the clock. 11:05 a.m. He should probably go get something to eat so he wouldn’t actually pass out, but he wasn’t hungry, at all. Instead, he went down the docks, at last. The sun was shining up in the sky, but the air was even colder than before, somehow. Jesper sat on the sand close to the docks with his bag at his side, waiting for the boathouse to appear on the horizon. His heart started beating faster as he finally saw it coming.

He got up, but didn’t walk the wooden path this time. He chose to stay at the beach. The postman couldn’t be inside the boathouse in that moment, with all of the reminders of their love there; he knew he would mess up his facade in that case.

Once Mogens saw him just standing there, without giving any indications he was going to his meeting, the man came to him, with a frown already “hey… How was the talk with your father? I figured he left with the Krum’s fisherman boat, amiright? He wasn’t here at 8”. Jesper crossed his arms and gave a stepped back when he noticed the ferryman getting closer. Mogens stopped and questioned “what’s the matter?”, and he looked down at the bag on the sand. He asked, in a bashful way “are you moving in already? So, really not a postman anymore, then?”. Jesper gulped and expressed with a serious expression “we need to talk”. “You wanna…?”, the ferryman said, suggesting with his hand back his shoulder that they could go inside the boathouse.

Abruptly, the postman countered “right here is fine”, shivering and narrowing his eyes, while looking down the beach to see if his father was there yet. It was almost noon already; Mogens’ surely took his damn time to get back. Luckily, Mr. Johanssen was still nowhere to be seen, but there was a fisherman and his boat on the beach now, most likely the one who would take him away from Smeerensburg.

“Jesper, what did your father say?”, the ferryman questioned, with a concerned look. The postman explained right away, since he didn’t want to drag this further and make it more painful than it needed to be “I’m going back home with him, alright?”. Mogens frowned even harder than before “what?! What are you talking about?”, and he came closer to try and touch the blond man, but Jesper held his hands up and gave another step back “It’s over, Mogens. I’m done here”.

The ferryman gave a quick laugh and went serious straight away, as he noticed Jesper wasn’t kidding “are you serious?! I don’t understand. Did he fire you?”. Jesper was looking down at his hands and he spoke while picking the skin around his fingernails “I’ll work in the city, at the Academy’s management now”. Mogens was clearly still so confused “ _management?_ Jesper, look at me. _Hey!_ What happened with staying with me in the boathouse?”, and he gave another step closer, but didn’t tried to touch Jesper this time.

The postman was out of words already. He obviously didn’t think too further on an easy way to end it, so he faced Mogens and just burst out “I don’t want to stay in the boathouse, ok? I want my own house back; the comfort I had before, my butler to bring me stuff, my silk sheets, a nice bubble bath with lavender soap and I want to eat some nice caviar with a sherry and whatever!”. The ferryman’s head was spinning, “did your father offered you all that so you’d leave with him? _And you took it?_ ”. Jesper was blinking a lot in distress, so he simply said “yes”, facing down again. Mogens argued “Jes, I can tell there’s something wrong. Tell me the truth”, and he grabbed the man by the arm. “Let go of me, Mogens”, the postman said, almost in a whisper, but they just stood still, very close together.

The postman finally looked up and got lost in the ferryman’s eyes. He couldn’t manage to say he didn’t love the man anymore, so he closed his eyes, optioning to see darkness, instead. Jesper gave a deep sigh and Mogens went to touch his cheek. Soon enough, the ferryman was holding Jesper in place by coping his face with both hands now, since the postman was already trying to get away from him. The ferryman urged “hey, hey… _Stop!_ Look at me! We can handle this. Just tell me what’s wrong and I’ll fix it”.

Jesper tried to say with an impassive look “he just offered me a lot of money and I took it”. At that, the ferryman felt great disappointment as he ran his hands from Jesper's cheeks through his neck and chest, until completely letting go of him. His eyes were starting to shine a little with tears by the time he asked “you actually picked money over what we have?”, and Jesper spoke louder “yes! I did. I can’t live here anymore. I can’t stand being here another second!”.

Mogens scratched his eye quickly, which left his eyelashes wet “is it me? Is it the boathouse that doesn’t pleases you, Jesper? _What is it?!_ ”. The postman assured, after hesitating for a second “ _all of it_. I just want my real life back”. The ferryman covered his mouth, shaking, and then, he nervously shoved his hands in his coat pockets “what about Alva, then? And Klaus?!”. The postman took a hand over his temple, before moving it forward in the air, on an irritated matter “ _I don’t care!_ I don’t care about them and I don’t care about you”.

Moving forward again, Mogens said, with the saddest eyes “you’re not-, you're not making any sense, love... After everything we've been through; all that we shared together…”, and he tried to seize the blond man by his coat, but Jesper brushed his hands away and assured “we were just having some fun, alright? Don’t get too attached. You’ll find another postman to fuck”. Absolute shock took over Mogens at that moment. He swiftly grabbed Jesper really hard by the shoulders and shook him “don’t say stuff like that to me! _Ever!_ ”.

They almost fell to the ground if the ferryman hasn’t held his grip tight and balanced them both in place. Jesper got a little scared, but that was working. Mogens _should_ feel angry, even if it hurt him for now. The postman said to his face, in a lower tone and with a tiresome expression “I don’t want this miserable life forever". The ferryman pushed him and questioned “oh, so now that you finished playing with me, Your Highness is going back to the castle, is it?”. Jesper felt his legs losing strength listening to what Mogens thought their connection was and he just wanted to sit back down on the sand. He didn’t, though, since it would make it obvious he wasn’t being genuine in what he was saying.

They were just staring at each other, so the ferryman continued “do you have _any idea_ how you’re making me feel right now?”. Jesper crossed his arms, trying to hold his posture “you’ll get over it”. Mogens was at the verge of tears as his hands went to his head. He brushed all his hair back, yelling “ _Jesper!_ ”, with the end of the blond man’s name cutting off in between his breath.

The postman couldn’t stand seeing him like this, so he looked to the side and saw his father in the distance. Mr. Johanssen was talking with the fisherman. That was it now. The last moments he had with the ferryman and he felt his own tears starting to build up. He blinked hard and sighed, trying to wrap things up without raising suspicions “I have to get going”, but Mogens held his arm again and demanded “tell me you don’t love me, then! Tell it to my face it was all lies”.

Jesper bit his lips as he fought the tears. “I don’t”, it was all he could say, in a really low and untruthful tone. The ferryman wasn’t buying it, therefore, he challenged him “I can’t hear you. _Say it, Jesper!_ ”. At that point, the postman couldn’t hold himself together any longer, so he busted into tears when he looked up to face the man. Mogens was heavy breathing as he went to touch his wet cheek. Jesper promised “ _I don’t love you, okay?_ ”, with his voice cracking, and the ferryman questioned “why are you crying, then?”.

Mogens was now holding his face again, making him look deep into his eyes. He nodded to encourage Jesper to be truthful about what was going on, yet, the postman grasped his wrists to get away “don’t. Just let me go, Mogens”.

Mr. Johanssen was already fast walking towards them once he saw them so close together. “Let go of my son!”, the man shouted mid-way. Jesper tried going to his father’s direction, but Mogens grabbed him by the back of his coat. He said, holding at the nape of his neck and touching his chest “I know there’s something you’re not telling me! Please, just talk to me. We can make this work”. Jesper was sniffing and then he had his mouth open, but no words came out.

He was holding back his tears, even if it was too late now, when Mr. Johanssen reached them and informed “we are leaving at once. Grab your bag, Jesper”. Then, he faced Mogens and said it again “let my son go, right now! Leave him alone”. The ferryman was feeling so angry that he exploded “how about _you_ leave him alone, eh? He's clearly more miserable about leaving then when he got here! And that’s saying something”. Mr. Johanssen stepped closer and pulled Jesper by the arm “you have nothing to offer to my son, Mr. Brooks, besides disgrace”. Mogens looked at his lover and searched for a confirmation on his part “Jesper?”, but the postman just nodded.

Feeling deeply broken inside, Mogens stepped back and mocked “best leave it alone, then! Nothing better than this great feeling of resentment, right? Mr. Postman?! _Say something!_ ”, and he shouted, at the very end. Jesper was trying really hard not to sob again, so he just took his bag in hand and turned to walk away.

Mr. Johanssen patted his son on the back and gave a bitter smile to the ferryman. Mogens’ heart was raging watching Jesper leave for good. He was breathing really hard by the time he said “this is not right!”, deciding to pull his knife out of his back pocket. Jesper turned back in shock, dropped his bag on the sand and held up his hands towards him “what are you doing?!”. Mogens assured “you don’t really _want_ this, Jesper. I can tell by the look in your eyes”.

Facing Mr. Johanssen, the ferryman shouted, holding his knife up “what the fuck did you do to him?! Tell me!”, but Jesper stepped in front of his father and demanded “put the knife down, Mogens!”. The ferryman was in complete desolation “step aside, Jes. I just need to talk to him”, and Jesper guaranteed “you’re not gonna hurt him! Are you trying to get arrested?!”. There was a crowd already watching them from afar, but Mogens didn’t care about any audience and he kept the knife high at Mr. Johanssen’s direction.

The ferryman held out a hand “come with me, Jesper”, but the postman didn’t move out of his father’s way. Without much wait, Mogens went closer and tried to grab him by force with his free hand. Mr. Johanssen started cursing and a confusion was formed. Mogens almost stabbed the man, if Jesper didn’t went for his wrist, screaming “ _drop the fucking knife!_ ”, but the ferryman was firm in his grip. Next, Jesper tried to take the object directly from the man’s fingers, shouting “Mogens, stop!”. And so they fought each other.

In a blink of an eye, there was blood pouring out. Mogens had cut Jesper’s hand by accident. The ferryman finally dropped the bloody knife on the sand and panted, in shock “I-, I didn’t mean to-“. Jesper was expressing sharp noises, clearly in pain, while he held his cut hand and just looked at the ferryman, appallingly. Mr. Johanssen gasped and pestered “what a ferocious man!”. He was ignored by both of them.

Mogens was just staring back at Jesper, that soon took his scarf off his neck to wrap it on his hand. While doing so, he felt the necklace on his chest. Then, he took the object out of his neck quick and extended his hand to Mogens with it, but the man hanged back. Jesper went close to him and put it on his lowered hand, anyway. The ferryman faced down at the necklace and it was covered with his lover’s blood.

He looked up to the blond man with tears shedding down his face. In a whimper, he implored “ _please_ , don’t leave me, Jesper”. The postman looked paler than ever and he breathed heavily before blinking a bunch of times, trying to recompose himself. He then declared, pressing at the cut on his hand “goodbye, ferryman. I don’t wanna see you again”.

\--

On their way to the mainland on the Krum’s fisherman boat, Jesper asked his father, with the plainest expression, like he was truly dead inside, “what about my horse?”. Mr. Johanssen promised “I’ll have someone to collect it. I will make sure of this”, getting a disheartened huff in return.

It was a quiet journey and when they reached Viksengo, Jesper’s scarf was coated in red with his blood. His father assured “Burghard can take us to a physician here before we continue on our way home”.

 _Burghard_. It had been so long since he last heard that coachman’s name. He wasn’t looking too forward in seeing him again. Jesper always had a feeling that that man detested him. His butler Bernard, on the other hand, seemed to like him, or at least, he was really good at faking it.

When the boat eventually stopped, Mr. Johanssen touched his son on the shoulder “thank you for defending me back there, son”. Jesper faced him and said, drily “I didn’t do it for you”, before getting out of the boat and going straight to the fancy carriage, where Burghard was waiting for them.


	26. Life Goes On

Smeerensburg suddenly seemed grayer than before. Mogens felt his heart ache as he watched the fisherman's boat sailing away. From the looks of it, his wish with Jesper's eyelash didn't work, after all. He put the bloody necklace as it was on his neck and cleaned his hands on his shirt. After a sniff, he took the knife from the sand and did the same with it, before putting it back in his back pocket. Getting back to the boathouse, it all reminded him of Jesper: his guitar, the fireplace, the crockery on the sink, the bed and sheets. The ferryman sank down on his bed and smelled the pillow. It still had the postman’s sent deep down. And he sobbed.

Was Jesper really being serious? _He couldn’t_. But... Maybe he was. Maybe he _did_ love the ferryman, but he loved money more. How much did Mogens actually knew Jesper to know if love was something he would be willing to give up for money? He reflected upon the fact that he met the man just a few months ago and they passed a lot of time just bickering each other. The ferryman wasn’t sure of anything anymore.

Soon, he started feeling angry about it all, so he threw the pillow on the ground and ran a hand through his face before getting up. After staring at the kitchen sink for a good moment, he went ahead and washed his necklace in an aggressive manner, breathing hard. As he did so, he stopped mid-way and just looked at the blood underneath his fingernails, still. It had been such a long time since he felt truly happy, but it was over now. It was over and he even cut Jesper with his knife. Mogens wiped his nose with his forearm and finished cleaning. He took his coat and shirt off before putting the wet necklace back on his neck.

Looking aimlessly around, he spotted his journal on the table. _That damn journal_. He couldn't even think about everything he wrote in there now, and that song he sang to Jesper... One of his most vulnerable moments. The ferryman went closer and grabbed the journal quickly before heading out.

On the top part of his boat, he looked down at the sea. He had watery eyes, but wasn't crying any longer. After a sigh, he began ripping the pages and throwing it in the water. He was shivering, since his arms and chest were exposed to the breeze, but he wanted to feel the cold. He wanted to feel something other than heartbreak. But the cold wasn’t enough to mask that feeling. And he eventually cried once more, but it was a different cry this time. A tempestuous crying, while ripping every single song related to Jesper. He leaned himself on the railing and looked down at the waves swallowing the pages. The water was crystal clear; a beautiful blue tone under the sunlight, exactly like Jesper’s eyes. He swiped his damp eyes and nose and went back inside.

Mogens placed what was left of his journal on the table, took his sheets and pillowcases, as well as his clothes, and put it all aside in a basket. Then, he tossed some water onto his face, grabbed a new blanket on his wardrobe and lay on the bed, wrapped with it. He kept staring at the birds in the sky out the window, unresponsive, until he finally fell asleep.

\--

"Where are your gloves, lad?", Mr. Johanssen asked his son. Jesper hasn't put "his" gloves, or better saying, Mogens gloves, ever since he left the post office for the last time. Somehow, it felt wrong and undeserving for him. He reasoned he shouldn't feel the warmth the ferryman provided for him when he was about to be the coldest he had ever been to the man he loved. His hand had just been sewed up and it was damn freezing, even inside of that carriage. Although, his biggest pain was deep down in his heart.

Mr. Johanssen interrupted the silence that lingered "talk to me, Jesper. We will be spending a lot of time together from now on. You should speak when being spoken to". The postman was caressing the stitches on his hand, thinking about what went down at the beach, still, and he looked up slowly, in disdain "what is it, father?". The man questioned once more, in a higher tone "your gloves? Did you forget them in Smeerensburg?". Jesper bit his bottom lip before pressing his hands together. He decided to be exceptionally straight forward to see what his father would say about it, so, with an ironic smile, he assured "I didn't have any gloves, since I had to choose between comfort or food with the amount of money you send me there". Being more serious now, he went on "Mogens actually gave me _his_ gloves", and he opened his bag to find them and put them on now, since his fingers were looking kind of blue already.

As he did that, Mr. Johanssen tried to disguise his annoyance "good, good. I'm happy you learned how to give value to the money you have". Jesper just gave a shocked gaze at the man. He thought about the fact that he would actually _starve_ on the week he decided to buy some blankets, if it wasn’t for Alva giving him food, but he gave up on discussing the matter. Instead, he crossed his arms, sat more comfortably and watched the trees passing by outside.

Those gloves really felt so warm, even more so knowing the hands it used to warm before his. Jesper felt his eyes beginning to water, so he closed them and tried to rest a little. He was, in fact, feeling extremely tired and kind of weak from all that happened that day.

\--

Mogens slept through the whole day and then, he decided to go to the tavern near the docks. He drank so much that he threw up on the street once he left the place. It was the middle of the night when he walked back, passing by the spot he had last seen Jesper. Looking at the black and agitated waters and then at the never-ending horizon, he asserted, gripping tight to his necklace "I wish you were here, Mikkel. I miss you so very much, my beloved brother". After a while staring at the sea, he went back to his boat and slept some more.

On the next day, he decided to visit Klaus. He didn't know if Jesper had talked to him, but he felt the need to speak with the bearded man about the unfortunate disappointment. When he reached the house on the hill, he soon saw the man cutting wood in the front.

After being invited in, they talked about it all in the kitchen, while Klaus did some soup for them. “It really _is_ a mystery, Mogens. But whether you like it or not, Jesper had a pretty different life before coming here”, the bearded man expressed, stirring the pot. The ferryman was utterly wretched sitting on a chair, with his elbow on the table and a hand on his forehead. “I thought we had something real”, it was all he said, in a low voice. As they ate, Klaus reflected some more “if he truly loves you, he will come back. Believe this. And if not… Well, you’re in your 30s. You still have your whole life ahead of you”.

Mogens was eating his soup quietly, looking more miserable than the day he came to the island all those years ago and, after a moment, the bearded man snapped “I can’t believe you tried to _stab_ his father! Didn’t I teach you anything?! Now, look what happened”. Klaus soon regretted what he said, since the ferryman already felt bad enough, but he was feeling upset himself by all of that, too. The postman had agreed to his plans next Christmas, after all, besides leaving Mogens at that state. He too believed Jesper to be a good person, and now the blond man was gone, Mogens was a wreck and they would soon need to let Alva know, as well.

He tried to countered, while watching the man leaning back, giving no indications he was going to reply or even finish his soup now “look, Mogens… I know this isn’t easy to handle, but why did you pulled your knife on Mr. Johanssen? What kind of proof do you have to make you believe Jesper was threatened instead of just being a greedy young man?”. The ferryman crossed his arms and assured, while nodding in denial “I don’t really know for certain, but I just had this _feeling_ something wasn’t right. All that we had together… And Jesper was being really… Strange. His father was too!”.

Klaus got up to put the plates in the sink “they did make quite the arrangement just before. You did say Mr. Johanssen offered him ‘a lot of money’, wasn’t not?”. Mogens faced the man and expressed while getting up “you’re not helping, Klaus”. The ferryman went to put their cups on the sink and he just stared at him with sad eyes before putting them down. As he turned around, he was grabbed by the shoulder and Klaus explained “I just don’t want to put false hopes into your mind, son. We will figure it out with time. Maybe Alva knows something we don’t. When does she return, do you know?”. Mogens gave a deep sigh “in a couple of months”. Klaus couldn’t disguise his helplessness, so the ferryman finished “I’m just gonna go now, aight? I need to be alone for a while”.

Before he left, the bearded man shouted “please, don’t disappear, Mogens. And don’t drown all your sorrows in booze!”.

\--

The silk sheets felt nice against Jesper’s skin. It had been a few weeks since he got back to his house in the city but, at least, he had some great comfort while attempting to have an actual good night of sleep, although he hadn’t quite fully managed that out yet. The postman woke up with bags under his eyes once again, feeling as tired as the days before. He sat against the bedframe while his butler greeted him and opened the curtains.

They were having a really gloomy weather that day, with a little rain and fog, but it was still definitely a lot warmer than Smeerensburg. Jesper narrowed his eyes, even with that dim light getting in the room. He was looking at the scar on his hand when his butler asked “what are the plans for today, Mr. Jesper?”, but he sank back down on his pillow instead of saying a word. The man let him know “your father wanted me to tell you that whenever you’re ready, he is waiting for you in his office at the Academy. He is really looking forward to discuss about your future! As you know, sir, you’re-“. Jesper sat up fast holding a hand up to make him stop talking “okay, okay! No need to say all that almost every day, Bernard. I know it already”.

The man came quickly at his side with a full breakfast tray on hand, but Jesper just gave a sip on the water before getting up. That fancy life felt so weird and excessive now and he really wished to be left alone, but Bernard was a good man that was just doing his job, regardless. Jesper liked to think he had some kind of friendship with him, since he was the only person he had talk to properly, for the time being. Apart from Bernard, he had been talking a lot with his horse that returned to him just the past week. The postman was truly relieved that his father kept his promise, so he was able to see _her_ again, at least.

As Jesper looked blankly at the drizzle outside his window, the butler asked “still thinking about Mr. Brooks, sir?”. Being Bernard the only _human_ he was talking to, he was also the one who had to listen to the whole story and complaints about Jesper’s life in general. He told the man he fell in love on the island, as well as his father's plan to break them apart. The postman focused his attention on the man and requested, faintly “can you get me my silk pillow case, please? I know it must’ve been washed by now. It’s been days”. He knew Bernard was trying to help him with his broken heart, but he wasn’t ready to forget about Mogens. He couldn’t, nonetheless, even if he wanted to.

The butler put the tray aside, went reluctantly to his wardrobe at the part where his fancy shoes were kept and pulled the fabric from the very back. Jesper rolled his eyes at that, but didn’t say anything. Instead, he just held out his hand, waiting for Bernard to bring it to him. As the postman changed the case from his pillow, the butler suggested “please, Mr. Jesper. You need to leave your room. How about _riding_ later, after breakfast? You always liked riding”. Jesper faced him and sighed. It was really hard to get away from Bernard’s good intentions, but he was grateful for it. “Alright. Just let me go get a bath first”, the postman said after putting his pillow back on his bed with the deepest care.

In the bath, Jesper watched the bubbles on his hands as he recalled all the things he said to Mogens, that is, all the _great things_ he would be having in the city instead of being with him, like that exact lavender bath. He felt terrible about it. Life seemed too much to handle at his house, even though all he did since he got back was complain, eat and sleep, barely. After catching a deep breath, he sank down the bathtub and thought about the ocean. Jesper really missed the breeze and the salted smell in the air.

It was really comforting to be submersed like that, but he stayed a little bit too long. He was breathing extremely hard once he abruptly came back to the surface. After coughing a bunch, he swiped the water off his face, brushed his hair all the way back and lay in the bathtub again, with his chest hurting a little. And he just stared at the bubbles some more. The water was already starting to cool down, but he was still in there, with no intentions of moving.

Jesper couldn’t stop thinking about the ferryman. He had a sad smile as he remembered that man’s jokes and laugh, his bravery, as well as his vulnerable states and all of the good times they spent together. He soon began getting more specific thoughts about his old lover: his piercing eyes, his grin and lips, his hands and veiny arms... His thick cock and how good it felt inside of him. It had been a while since his last release and his dick gave a slight twitch at the thought. Jesper touched his lips and pulled the bottom of it as his mind wondered.

After a moment, he had his other hand on his member and he looked down as he jerked himself with the bath foam. The warmth was coming back to his body with the sensation of it. The postman was breathing a little heavier now and he emitted some low moans. He stopped stroking to sat up straighter and his penis was stiff up his stomach. Then, he switched hands to grab it again. As his movements became faster, Jesper held tight to the side of the bathtub.

He quickly made twisting strokes going through all the length of his hard cock and his moans got just a bit louder. He hoped nobody would interrupt him now; he was about to reach his peak already. He let go of the bathtub and gave a pull on his balls while still stroking and squeezing the tip of his dick. His head went back and his mouth was wide open as he squealed with the climax. It felt good at that instant, but his mind was soon _gone_ from the moment. He couldn’t even enjoy the afterglow feeling. Jesper gulped and felt miserably alone. Then, he just finished cleaning himself and got out from that cold and lonely bath.

When he got to the dining room, the table was already being cleared out for lunch, but he took a bowl full of croutons out of a lady’s hand passing by and went to sit on the main chair; his father’s chair. Jesper ate the croutons staring carefully at the fancy candle holder in front of him.

Eventually, he mumbled "how much do you think this thing is worth?", looking up to Bernard, that was standing beside him the whole time. "Hum... I'm not sure, sir", the man replied, intrigued by the random question. Jesper moved forward and took the object in hand "do you reckon it's worth more than what I earned per month in Smeerensburg? Probably, right? It’s definitely bathed in gold", and he laughed in a psychotic way. The butler asked with genuine concern “are you alright, sir?". Jesper aggressively put the candle holder back on the table and got up with an exaggerated smile, moving his hands in the air " _I'm excellent!_ ".

Then, the postman began to wonder around his house. All those pointless objects, like fancy tapestry and expensive paintings and statues that should be somewhere more useful, in his opinion... It would had been so much easier to have such abundance of goods back on the island, or even...

Jesper stopped abruptly in the corridor and Bernard just stood a few steps back, with a big frown. The Brooks family was going to be paid off to pretty much stay away from the ferryman. Not that they _knew_ this, exactly, but still. Mr. Johanssen was legitimately clearing that family from their debts to keep Jesper in the city, in exchange to never reveal Mogens’ whereabouts to his father.

But surely, they would appreciate a good amount of money even beyond their debts, a lot more, right? It would be such a better proposition for them rather than what his father offered! But what would Jesper say to the family? And would Mr. Johanssen retaliate right after, telling them about the mysterious Smeerensburg's ferryman? Jesper’s mind was racing in unfinished thoughts, but he had a start to a plan, finally, after weeks!

"Do you need a... _Special medic_ , sir?", the butler asked, in a low tone. The postman frowned as he saw Bernard just staring at him, waiting for an answer. "What? No!", he assured, before going fast in his direction. He grabbed the man by the coat and demanded "did my father already made the payments to the Brooks family?!". Bernard was speechless, trying to get around to say something, so the postman shook him, impatiently. The butler explained, a little startled "sir, I-, I wouldn't know. Maybe Burghard knows. He's the one who takes your father all over". Jesper was thinking on a solution, since that pesky man would never tell him anything.

Distress was already showing on his face when Bernard spoke again "I could easily find that out for you, sir". Surprised, the postman let go of his butler "really? Would you do that for me?", and the man put a hand over his shoulder, "of course, sir. I know you since you were a little boy. You must not believe me, but I really care about your happiness and well-being, sir". Indeed, Bernard was hired as soon as his mother died to specifically take care of him. Jesper always liked the man, but never knew if he was actually fond of him or just of his salary.

His heart felt warm at Bernard’s words. This time, the postman gave a genuine smile and pecked him hard on the cheek "thank you, Bernard!". The man was a little embarrassed, but smiled in return, before asking "please, eat a proper lunch, sir. Can you do this for me, as I do that for you, Mr. Jesper?".

The postman nodded and Bernard completed “and go stretch your legs outside once the weather improves?”. Jesper rolled his eyes, but the man remained with a serious look, so he just promised “yes! I’ll go riding, even. As you greatly suggested”. Then, he watched as the butler went away with a relieved expression on his face.

\--

A sharp and loud squawk woke Mogens up in his Viksengo's ferry cabin. Those damn seagulls sure knew how to be noisy. As he waved his arms to make the birds go away, he saw a carriage in the distance slowly approaching. “ _Jesper?_ ”, the ferryman said out loud. It was definitely him; it must’ve been! After weeks, he was going to see his lover again. His heart started racing; it was evident that the man riding was dressed as a postman. His hat was covering his eyes, but Mogens got up from his chair and walked to his meeting without losing hope.

The carriage stopped just next to him, but before the stranger fully came down, the ferryman already had a disappointed look on his face. It wasn’t Jesper. That man had much wider shoulders and a ginger strip on his chin. After a sigh, Mogens asked, as the man stood beside him “are you the new Smeerensburg's postman?”. The stranger put his hand up for a shake and said, with a wide smile “indeed I am, my good sir. My name is Nikolas and I’m here to serve the people as best as I can!”.

The ferryman immediately felt sorry for him. He seemed genuinely happy to be there, but he was already shivering with the cold. At least, the townsfolk were better to handle now on the island, but the weather was much colder on the island than in Viksengo. Nonetheless, Mogens greeted him with a handshake before advising “best we go on our way, then”.

On the ferry, Nikolas tried to chit-chat "oh, it's really chill up here, huh?". Mogens wasn't in the mood to make jokes or mess around with the new postman. It just wasn't the same anymore. "Yeah, it sure is", was all he said.

When they got to Smeerensburg, the red haired was speechless, "it’s so... Cold and dark, even during the day!”. Mogens came down his cabin to get the rope and he shouted at the man, that slowly walked down "you'll get used to it, soon enough", without putting much emphasis on it.

Then, at the post office, Mogens swallowed dry before opening the door "this place had a renovation recently, so... It's decent and warm inside". Nikolas couldn’t help but comment "wow! It’s a lot smaller than the previous post office I used to work. And the furniture; it's all really... Plain and rustic". The ferryman was already annoyed "you don't like it? Well, that's too bad. All the stuff here is for you to use as it is".

The ginger man looked worried already, just like all of the other postmen who arrived before him. Just like _Jesper_ too, at the start. "It would be nice to have the furniture I had, but I can work with this", he expressed, looking around. 

In the next moment, Nikolas saw the wooden bird on the table and he immediately grabbed the object in hand. He kept throwing from one hand to the other as he spoke "what is _this?_ What a weird thing. Really amateur work", he stopped and stared closely, "is this paint or...".

Mogens moved quickly and took it from him "it's perfect how it is. Give me that", but the man wanted it back "hey, I thought the things in here were mine to use!". The ferryman spoke slower and in a lower voice "you don't _need_ a wooden bird to work”, but Nikolas shot back "I could use it as a paper weight!". Mogens narrowed his eyes, went to grab a rock on the ground by the fireplace and put it on the ginger man's hand abruptly "here's your paper weight".

The ferryman left Nikolas shouting back at him "wait! Where are you going? Now what?!".

After walking for a while, Mogens remembered he didn't explain about the post office procedures with the outgoing mail and such, but he could talk to that annoying man again some other time. All he wanted in that moment was a drink, so he headed to the tavern.

\--

Jesper was sitting outside at the back of his house eating an apple, cutting the fruit piece by piece with a small knife, as we watched his horse. The weather had improved, so he would soon be riding, as he promised Bernard earlier that day.

He sighed heavily when he saw his father coming towards him, always dressed so luxuriously. Mr. Johanssen was speaking already, mid-way “it’s nice to catch you out here, son. I barely get to see you anywhere. We never even dine together”, and he stopped once he reached Jesper, before adding “how are you doing?". The postman looked up and answered ironically, with an obvious upsetting expression on his face “great”, and then continued to cut his apple.

His father sat by his side and watched the horse walking around “what a beauty, isn’t she? I’m glad I got to bring her back here to you”. Was that man actually expecting _gratitude_ for doing the bare minimum? After what he did? Jesper wasn’t going to give that satisfaction to him. He still felt so angry and broken-hearted. Mr. Johanssen commented, since he got no response “I’m waiting for you at the Academy every day, Jesper. You will have to come by at some point. That was our agreement, after all; one-year training in management, at the very least”. Jesper was flexing his cheekbones in a hostile way, before getting another apple piece to his mouth.

After a moment, he enquired, looking forward “what did you tell them?”. His father seemed confused, so he faced the man and clarified “what did you say to the Brooks family to accept your money out of nowhere?”. Mr. Johanssen laughed a bit, like it was absurd to even be thinking about the ferryman still and, for some reason, about his family too “my son... Poor people take money easily. You don’t need to beg them for it”. Jesper remained serious and then, he threw his unfinished apple on the tall grass at his side.

Now, holding only the knife, the postman began scrapping underneath his fingernails. He asked “so, why are you still paying them, anyway? You didn’t tell Mogens’ father where he is. You don’t owe them anything, so why bother?”. Mr. Johanssen got more comfortable in his position “I told you I’m doing this from the goodness of my heart”, but he got a sarcastic huff in return. Then, the man chose to explain further “also, since I questioned Mr. Brooks about his son, I had to say something. I told them who I was, that I was investigating something and that I had a lead on his location. I don’t want these people coming here to bother us later, son. People would talk. Besides, in my position, it’s not that much money in exchange of peace in the future”.

Of course, he wanted to keep the _appearances_. By now, he also must’ve told everyone that Jesper was back in the city because he wanted to follow his father’s footsteps himself. Nothing more. Nobody should know that the rich and famous Johanssen family had problems, basically. His father kept talking “and like I said, I didn’t specify about his location, but I had to say something to know more about them and their lives. Mrs. Krum didn’t know much about that man’s family history, besides that fishing trip disgrace”.

Jesper asked, in a plain tone “ah, yes. You needed to do some research so you could threaten me, right?”, and his father corrected him “so I could _help_ you, yes! I saved you, Jesper”. The postman raised his eyebrows and nodded in an ironic manner. He stuck the knife hard onto the bench in between them before getting up “well, I must ride now. She’s starting to get impatient. We wouldn't want to cause more distress, huh?”.

The postman walked away to get on his horse, although Mr. Johanssen followed and stood next to him as he moved up the saddle “you know I’m mainly doing this for you, Jesper. I didn’t pay that family yet as I’m waiting for you to decide what you'll want to do with your life. I truly don’t want to tell them about the ferryman. His father must’ve cared for his _other_ son very deeply. It’s quite obvious that he wants to harm… _Mogens_ , for what he did to his brother”. The postman’s heart ached by hearing Mogens’ name coming out of his father’s mouth.

He tried to plead one last time “you don’t have to do this, dad. You can be a good man and just don’t tell them anything, regardless of what I choose for my life”. Mr. Johanssen only remarked “but I can’t, can’t I?”, which made Jesper just stare at him for a good sorrowful moment.

Then, the postman kicked the horse with his heels and rode off fast, ruthlessly.


	27. A Wooden Bird and a Plan

The sixth mug of beer had just arrived at Mogens’ table, alongside a judgmental stare from the old barkeeper who brought it. The ferryman had his head down on his arm as he watched someone playing the guitar and attempting to sing in the small stage they had there. He had a headache even before getting to the tavern, but it was even worse now because of that. It was the same guy every time and Mogens was surprised that the place has not gone out of business yet.

Being as drunk as he was, he shouted without thinking “shut the hell up. You’re terrible! Get off the stage”. The barkeeper came back fast in his direction, banged his hand on the table, which made the ferryman jump abruptly, and warned “that’s my _nephew_ you’re talking about, ferryman!”. Showing no remorse, Mogens simply expressed “that explains why he plays here every dang night then, doesn’t it?! No one in their right mind would hire someone that sings like a goose if they weren’t related”.

The man on stage came down and got close to them “excuse damn me if my singing isn’t for your liking! I doubt you could sing any better”. Mogens laughed out loud and mumbled his words “well, I sure can. I’m a real singer, aight”. The man crossed his arms “what a pretentious bastard! Let’s hear it, then”. The ferryman felt a quick shock running through his entire body. He wasn’t ready for this! The only person he ever sang in front of was Jesper. And that was all he had in mind now. _That greedy prick_.

Mogens picked up his drink and chugged it all down. After a burp and a swipe of hand to the mouth, he announced “I’m ready”. He extended his hand to pick the man’s guitar, but before he could get it, he tripped and fell to the ground. The barkeeper was angrier than ever and he complained about having to clean up a possible vomit accident from the drunk ferryman that lay on the floor now.

The nephew continued to mock “you can’t even stand, imagine singing and playing the guitar. You’re pathetic”. Mogens was feeling a bit sick, but he chose to ignored it. Instead, he grabbed the man’s legs and knocked him over. They started fighting and everyone gathered around, already putting out bets. The old barkeeper was shouting, trying to break them apart “get the hell out of here, you drunk fuck!”. Another man came to help and they threw Mogens out, although this man stayed with him while the barkeeper got back inside, cursing out names.

“Are you alright there, boatman?”, the stranger asked and Mogens just said, drily “what does it matter to you?”. He swiped the dirt out of his coat before looking up. Actually, he _knew_ that guy. It was the same fisherman he talked to on the beach the day Romeo and Juliet were trying to run away. They talked for a good while then, since Mogens was investigating the facts to know if the town was finally safe.

He recalled that after talking to this guy, he went to the post office to get Jesper’s clothes and boots, as well as the last remaining outgoing mail that the blond man had forgotten to pass it on to him. He never got the chance to tell Jesper about it. The blond man probably didn’t even notice it. His head was spinning and he soon started to get annoyed with himself. _Everything_ reminded him of Jesper, still. He couldn’t help it. The more Mogens thought about it, the more he realized he did a lot for Jesper, and for what? Just to get all that ingratitude and deception in return.

The sadness was beginning to rise on his face as the fisherman got closer “you wanna have some fun? It seems like you need it”, and he grabbed Mogens by his belt. “I feel so alone and… Lost”, it was all the ferryman let out, before suddenly being kissed on the lips. It was strange. He couldn’t feel anything; nothing bad about it, but nothing good either. It was like he was watching that kiss happen from afar, like it wasn’t with him, but with somebody else. They kept kissing though, and Mogens tried to intensify the moment by kissing his neck. But nothing. Maybe if they could go beyond this. Maybe then, he could feel the adrenaline back in his body.

The fisherman was grinning “straight to the point, eh? I like it”, and he went to touch Mogens’ chest area. The man felt something on his coat getting in the way, so he took the object in hand. It was the wooden bird Jesper carved; still intact after all that fuss. Mogens sighed once he saw it. That _damn_ postman really fucked with his whole life! Even being away, he was constantly present and messing with his head.

He should just ignore it and take that fisherman to his boathouse. He didn’t owe Jesper anything. That guy was a greedy prick, after all… Right? _Right!_ Of course he was. Klaus said if Jesper truly loved him, he would come back, but it had been almost a month already. Mogens should just enjoy life right now and that fisherman was even kind of attractive, if it wasn’t for the fish smell, but he could get used to it for a night.

The fisherman tossed the wooden bird on the ground and went to kiss him again. Mogens felt so mad and confused with his own feelings. If he allowed all of that to happen, it would be like giving up on Jesper forever. Jesper had giving up on him, but he wasn’t ready to do the same, as lame as that made him. The ferryman pushed him back, took the carving from the ground and stored it inside of his coat again.

He had his arms crossed and also gave a few steps back as the fisherman tried to get close, saying “what’s the problem? I heard your boyfriend left you. I could fix a broken heart; I promise you that. Just come here”, and he caressed his own crotch. Mogens put his hands in his pockets and was already walking away when he made it clear “I don’t wanna have fun tonight, aight? I changed my mind”, and the fisherman looked at him with disdain, before declaring “fine! Suit yourself”. Then, he spat and got back inside the tavern.

Back at the boathouse, Mogens made some tea and hoped we wouldn’t throw up this time. He was tired of that sensation; being drunk pretty much every day, even though he didn’t have the strength or the will to do anything else. He sat on a chair and looked to his journal at the table, now thin from the missing pages. He hasn't written anything new there for weeks. What was the matter with him? His boyfriend _did_ leave him and was probably having the time of his life back in the big city, rolling in money and, quite possibly, with another man, too. So why couldn’t he be with a random guy that night?

He ran a hand through his face in a fast motion and went to sink on his bed. Deep down, he still had doubts about Jesper’s intentions with him. Deep down, he hoped to see the postman’s carriage arriving at his post in Viksengo at any giving moment. Deep down, _he still loved Jesper_. But maybe he shouldn't. He was being naive. He knew that, Klaus knew that and soon, Alva would know that. Mogens desperately needed a talk with Klaus; not for him to put “false hopes” in his head, as the bearded man already said he wouldn’t, but to perhaps calm his nerves and help him cope with that... Painful loss.

He decided he was going up the hill the next day, but before that, he still needed to clarify the mail procedures to Nikolas, that annoying new postman. The ferryman sighed heavily after so much thinking and he felt the need to grab his pillow to give a good scream onto it. At least, the pillowcase didn’t smell like Jesper anymore, not even deep down.

\--

It was already night out and Jesper was reading a book in his room when Bernard knocked on the door. He got up so fast that he got dizzy by it. The man was already close to help him sat back down on the bed "did you dined, sir?". Jesper assured "yeah, I did. I just got up too fast", and Bernard looked at him suspiciously. The postman promised "really! You can ask at the kitchen, if you want. I even rode today. I did all you asked of me, Bernard”, and then he added, while touching the scar on his forehead, in a lower and kind of annoyed tone “no need to treat me like a child”. The butler was now standing in his fine posture with his hands behind his back as he acknowledged, without any restrains “I apologize in advance, Mr. Jesper, but sometimes you _do_ behave like one”.

The postman looked up at him with raised eyebrows and mouth half open in surprise. That man really had some nerves! But, for some reason, it made Jesper feel pleased, since it was another sign of affection and care for his well-being. Bernard truly wanted what was best for him.

After a short huff and a subtle curl on the lips, Jesper asked “what did you find out with Burghard?", and the butler explained "your father keeps rescheduling a trip to Kelden at the end of every week. He just canceled one today, as a matter of fact”. The postman was reflecting while the man kept talking “Kelden is a small coast town not far from here, as you may know". He _did_ know that town, but never been there. One of his mother’s friends had moved there after getting married. They made plans to visit the woman, but in the end, they never did. So, that's where Mogens was from. It was so odd to think about how close they were from each other for so many years prior to their meeting, yet, so far away.

He already knew his father was stalling to pay the Brooks family. He then asked the butler "did you got an address?", and Bernard hesitated before clarifying "not really, sir. It would raise suspicions that you are… Planning something out, sir. Burghard is a faithful man to Mr. Johanssen”. After a scratch on his head, Jesper spoke with confidence "it doesn't matter, I can find them myself". He was glad to know that he also had a faithful man at _his_ side, which would actually be necessary to his plans. Therefore, the postman figured he should probably explain how everything would go down to Bernard, and he hoped so very much that the butler was interested in hearing and, specially, taking part on it.

Before he could say anything, Bernard enquired, already showing his faith on him "how are you going to pay them, Mr. Jesper? You can't take things from the house! Your father would get both you and your ferryman arrested. Don't ever doubt him, sir". Bernard knew so much just by working there; he was a really underestimated employee. Jesper sighed and promised “don’t worry Bernard. I have a plan”, and they talked about it all for a good while.

First, he was going to pretend he was finally ready to get started on his training in management for a year, so that he could please his father and, perhaps, spark some trust on him. Then, once that was sorted, he planned to request access to his bank account again. He obviously didn’t have as much money as his father on his name, but surely, what he did had would be enough to cover for the Brooks family debt, as well as some extra cash for good measure. However, how exactly would they play this out for the family was a whole other problem. He needed to give them quite a bit of money for “no reason” and, somehow, avoid Mr. Johanssen’s interference. This second part of the plan was a lot trickier to resolve, but Bernard gave some suggestions and helped with a few adjustments, which made Jesper extremely grateful for. Although there were still some things left to luck, he was satisfied enough to start putting his plans into action.

It was already passed 2 a.m and they were both exhausted after talking for so long about it all. The butler expressed “I really hope this works, sir. I can only imagine how much you are longing to see Mr. Brooks again”. Jesper has asked Bernard a few times to just call him “Mogens”, but he was too polite for that.

As the man made his way to leave the room, the postman requested “so, please, don't forget to let the coachman know I'll be visiting my father's office Monday morning”.

Jesper was feeling a little conflicted. He couldn’t know if his whole plan was going to work. It would take a lot of acting, but he was a good liar, at least he thought so himself. But there was still one thing missing from the plan, so he waited in his room until 3 a.m, to make sure Mr. Johanssen was in a deep sleep and then, he headed to his father’s main office at the house. He needed something he knew he could only get in there. Being a mischievous child back in the day really had its perks now; he knew all of the secrets from that house.

Once inside the office, Jesper found the specific book he was looking for and quickly opened it to find a key inside, resting in the middle on cut out pages. Next, he looked at the painting of his mother that hanged behind the main chair. She was such a beautiful woman; sparkly blue eyes, fair skin and red cheeks, just like him. Jesper was staring and smiling for a while, before he realized someone could see the light from the candle underneath the door, that is, if there was a soul awaken at that time.

He needed to be quick, nonetheless, so he moved the painting and a vault was exposed. Using the key to open it, he took the only thing that was there: a handgun. Jesper put the object behind his pants, fixed the painting at its place and returned the key to the book.

He gave one last look to make sure everything was in place, as best as it could be, but before he left, he noticed something odd on the table. Getting closer, he took an envelope in hand that had a Smeerensburg stamp on it. He never sent any letters to his father! So, from whom that could be? Mrs. Krum had talked to Mr. Johanssen over the telephone, already… But he quickly turned it around and saw that old lady’s name there, anyway. He was confused, therefore, he took the letter inside to read it.

It all came clear now. Checking for the date, he saw it was from even before Christmas. That bitter woman had sent a letter discoursing about Jesper's “excellency” at being a postman on the island; it said that he was the best attribution ever to Smeerensburg and how they would be so sad to finally see him leave to work on “greater things, as he so well deserved”. He was rolling his eyes for the hundredth time when he got to the end of that letter.

So, Mrs. Krum was just extremely impatient on waiting for a reply by mail? That sure sounded like her. She decided to speed things up and make a telephone call. Jesper had to admit, that woman knew very well how to be resourceful when it came to get the things she wanted. It was still so intriguing on how in the world she managed to send that letter though, since he never collected any mail from her house, even less so a letter addressed to his father.

“What a wicked witch”, Jesper whispered to himself, putting the letter down. At the same instant, he heard a noise coming from the corridor and he looked up with frighten displayed in his eyes. Quickly, he blew his candle off and went to hide at the balcony outside.

He was just finishing closing the glass door when his father came in. The postman's heart was beating so loud that he feared the man could hear it. He peaked through the gap in the curtains and saw Mr. Johanssen looking around, holding his own candle. At least he wouldn’t notice that the room was already smelling like freshly burnt out candle.

As he watched, he saw his father staring closely at his mother’s painting. Then, he went to his table and pressed a hand on the papers there, still looking around. Jesper fully hid himself again and held his breath. After a moment, he looked once more and saw the man putting Mrs. Krum letter, particularly, inside of a drawer.

Jesper could only breathe properly after Mr. Johanssen had left the room. He was freezing outside, without proper clothing, but he decided to stay there for a few extra minutes before getting back inside. If felt like forever, so he distracted himself from the cold by watching the city. Looking down at his street, there was no one in sight and no light was lit. Just standing there, hidden, where he wasn't supposed to be, made him recall the times he delivered presents with Klaus and then, with Mogens, as well. He gulped and gave a deep breath as he wished he could do just that again next Christmas.

Finally, he slowly got back inside and walked the corridors in the most stealth way possible, until he reached his own room. Despite the adrenaline rush, he grinned, still with his hands over the door.


	28. Where There's a Will There's a Way

“A fish and a bird could fall in love, but where would they live?”, Mogens said out loud, remembering a riddle he once heard while he looked at the wooden bird and mermaid standing together on the nightstand. A familiar voice suddenly spoke right after “they would meet in the storm and in the rainbow that follows”. Looking up from his bed, the ferryman saw Klaus already coming in.

Sitting on a chair close to the fire, the bearded man went on “I missed your visits at the cabin, son. Where have you been?”. Mogens took the wooden carvings in hand and, after a heavy sigh, he answered, while putting them back in the first drawer “I was… Around”. Klaus was stoking the fire when he suggested “you could go stay with me for a while. Like the good old days! How about it? You shouldn’t be alone”. Mogens got up and went to fetch another chair to sit by Klaus’ side. While doing so, he explained “I gotta go to work. It would be too much trouble”, and when he sat, he looked carefully at the man before saying in the most honest tone he could “but thank you anyways, Klaus. I really appreciate the offer”.

The bearded man tapped Mogens’ shoulder “I’m always here for you. I hope you know that”, and then, he took a glimpse at the place. It was a little different than it used to be; messier and more careless. Also, he spotted a few bottles laying around, so he enquired “what happened with not drowning your sorrows in booze?”. The ferryman was staring at the fire with a serious expression, but still mocked “I’m sorry to tell ya, but I haven’t made any promises about that, chief. You’re the one who said it”. Klaus nodded slowly and took a deep breath before pointing it out “Mogens… You can’t go on like this. Please, let me help you”, but he didn’t get any response. He went on “you never take any days off work and I truly think it’s time. We could do something nice and cheerful at the cabin, or we could go on a camping trip! The reindeers would surely love that”. Mogens crossed his arms and his leg was already bouncing up and down when he admitted “you’re right, I _can’t_ go on like this. I can’t stand this anymore! I need to go after him”.

He got up in a brisk, already making his way to grab a bag. Soon enough, the ferryman was tossing random clothes inside of it when Klaus got to him and held his arm “that’s not what I had in mind, son. I don't want your heart to be broken into even more pieces than it already is”. Mogens pulled his arm back and frowned. He continued packing “I just need to know, Klaus! I-, I need to see him again”. The bearded man took the bag quickly and held it firmly at his chest.

Looking carefully into the ferryman’s eyes, he asked “and are you ready to hear those same words? Are you ready to be let down by him… Once more?”. Mogens gulped and swiped a hand through his nose in an irritated manner. He didn’t know what to say, since he didn’t think about the possible outcomes, therefore, he just stood there with a hand on his waist, staring back at Klaus. Jesper could literally throw him out of his house and even laugh at his face for going all the way over there for nothing. Was he, in fact, ready for that possibility?

Mogens went to sit on his bed and he said, with elbows on his knees and hands over his face “no… I guess I’m not ready for that”. Klaus placed the bag on the floor and started evaluating the situation. The ferryman was in a really bad shape. It was obvious he was still waiting for the return of the blond postman every day and time didn’t exactly healed any wounds. As a matter of fact, time only made it worse.

They were both quiet for a moment, until Klaus decided “ _I will go”_. The ferryman looked up fast with a puzzle expression “what?”, and the man affirmed “I will go see Jesper in the city”. Mogens got up and was fast to say “you don’t have to go out of your way to do that, Klaus. And this is my problem to handle. I really need to see him again, even if his words… Kill me inside”. The bearded man had made his mind already “I’m sorry, Mogens, but I won’t be having that. Besides, he will be honest with me; I’ll make sure of it. If there’s a threat in place, he may still conceal it from you. You _do_ want real answers, don’t you?”. Mogens nodded and scratched his chin as he reflected upon it, but Klaus interrupted his line of thought in the hopes that the ferryman wouldn’t talk again about going there himself “it’s decided. I will go tomorrow. _Alone_. I've been willing to go around Viksengo as well, anyhow”.

The bearded man cleared his throat and went on “I was invited to a Sámi gathering and… Well, I need some new and better clothes”. Mogens suddenly smiled, to Klaus’ surprise, and asked “trynna impress the lady, are you? I know it hasn’t been that long, but please, tell me you at least kissed her already”. Klaus went a little red and tried to disguise it by fixing his beard and walking around “I don’t remember being _this_ nosy when you told me you were in love!”. Mogens gave a little chuckle when he passed next to Klaus, tapped him on the back and went to the kitchen area to make them tea. He looked more relaxed now, so Klaus was pleased with that.

The bearded man affirmed, while taking two mugs out of the cabinet “I did kiss her, a few times… She accepted my invitation to the New Year’s party. I’ve been seeing her often, actually. She’s… A wonderful woman”. The ferryman leaned on the counter as he waited for the tea to be ready “I know. I talked to her at the Christmas party”. Klaus couldn’t disguise his sudden shock now, but Mogens laughed it off “don’t worry, chief. I didn’t tell her about your bad habits or anything. I just needed to see, ya know... If she was worthy of you”. The bearded man was even more perplexed “ _worthy? Of me? Her?!_ Ho, ho, ho. Oh, you amuse me, Mogens”.

The mood at the boathouse was so much lighter at that instant. If felt nice for the ferryman to think about something else other than Jesper. They laughed and chatted about all sorts of things while drinking tea in good fellowship and everything was alright.

Mogens sat back and put his feet on the table. They soon started discussing which type of party the Sámi people were throwing at their village and which clothes and colors would suit Klaus best. The ferryman suggested “what about a bright-purple suit? That could be nice”. Klaus was quick to deny “are you trying to embarrass me, son? The only good bright color for me is red, I feel”. Mogens teased “like that coat she made for you? I thought you wanted to get something _different_ ”. The bearded man was pouring more tea “but she said I looked handsome!", he cleared his throat, "in red, I mean”. The ferryman grinned and advised “ok… How about a dark-red this time, then? Real fancy, eh? Maybe velvet, or worsted…”. They kept laughing while discussing ideas. Klaus added “ho, ho, or maybe just a simple red flannel suit, or I could go straight for a _silk_ one and-“.

He abruptly stopped talking and they just stared at each other. Mogens put his feet down and went for a sip of his tea while Klaus expressed, reaching to touch the ferryman’s arm “this will all be resolved soon, Mogens. I will try my best when I’m there, I can promise you that”. He got a nod in return and they finished their tea in plain silence.

Klaus was already at the wooden path when Mogens called for him, walking fast in his direction “just tell me this, chief. After you get back… You will tell me _exactly_ what he said, no matter what it is. You aren’t keeping anything from me, yeah?”. The bearded man was pensive and Mogens insisted “even if it hurts me, alright?”. “Alright”, Klaus sighed after finally agreeing to it. The ferryman was more nervous than before, but he trusted his friend. He would take Klaus to Viksengo the next day and wait patiently for his return, as much as he could be patient, that is.

After stalling all day, Mogens decided he needed to drop by the post office to talk with Nikolas. Just the thought of it was already making him feel irritated, but it was part of his job, nonetheless. Once he got there, the snow was falling very thin and he just froze in front of the place, but not from the cold, evidently.

The ferryman was remembering how Jesper stood there at the top of those same stairs what it felt like so long ago, all angry and annoyed at the very first sight of just a thin snow, like the one they were having just now. He gave a subtle sad smile, before getting inside the post office through the front door.

“Ah, thank God! Ferryman. You need to help me”, Nikolas expressed, already getting up from his seat once he saw Mogens. “What’s the matter? Not too fond of great Smeerensburg?”, the ferryman mocked, sitting down and putting his feet up. Nikolas had a bag ready at the side of the table and he started putting his papers together in a rush “these people… They are all freaks! They want to kill me for no reason, whatsoever. You need to take me back to that city we came from, whatever the name is”. Mogens frowned his eyebrows “wait, what?! Why would they wanna kill ya for? Aren’t they in good harmony with each other?”.

Nikolas put his overcoat and finished packing. While closing the bag, he discoursed “ _good harmony?!_ Oh yes, they all really work together to find new ways to end me. This place is horrendous! And the people are evil. I’m in hell! Let’s go”. Mogens got up quickly and went to stand in front of the door “wait a minute! The next ferry ride is only tomorrow morning. Take it easy there… You will have to stay here an extra day, ‘cause I can’t take ya today”. Nikolas was redder than ever when he shouted “why not?! I can pay you”, and the ferryman scratched his head “I got my hands tied here. I have a schedule to follow. You’ll be alright until tomorrow”. The new postman dropped his bag in an angry manner and sat back down on his chair, complaining high “It’s all Jesper’s fault, that pestiferous man!”.

Mogens was ready to open the door and leave, but he turned back and asked “what do you mean… _Jesper’s_ fault?”. Nikolas was messing with his chin strip when he said “he corrupted the people on this island. I don’t know how, but he did it. The townspeople don’t want to send their mail unless it’s with _him!_ And I’m not him, so I can’t work here”. He definitely wasn’t Jesper, but Mogens kept quiet while he listened to the man, that was still talking “and I don’t deserve to put my life at risk just because I’m not that idiot. He wasn’t even a good postman! He failed all of his Academy’s exams. I don’t get it”.

Before he knew, the ferryman was having a good laugh and Nikolas was extremely displeased by it “what’s so funny, ferryman? Speak your words”. After catching his breath, Mogens vented “that sounds like Jesper, alright... _Purposely_ failing his exams to avoid work”. Nikolas was intrigued “how do you know that? Maybe he failed because he sucks at the job”. The ferryman walked forward and put his hands on the table “that’s where you’re wrong, fella. Jesper’s a great postman. The best one this town has ever had”.

\--

"Oh, what do I give the honor?", Mr. Johanssen got up from his chair with a surprised expression once he saw Jesper at the door of his office. His son was actually at the Academy on a Monday morning, at last, after weeks of waiting for that moment. The man had a genuine smile going on his face while Jesper recalled the last time he was in that room, that is, when his father was choosing a random place for him to work in that huge map on the table. As the postman walked, his eyes landed on Smeerensburg and he hesitated. His father quickly commented on it "missing that island, much?”. What a vile question. What was he supposed to say to that? Jesper couldn’t be honest or sarcastic now. He was there with a purpose and he needed to act accordingly to get what he came for, even though it was hard not to scream at his father’s face at that instant.

Mr. Johanssen went on “how are you feeling? You had the weekend to think about our last talk, I see?”. Jesper was irritated already and he blasted "I'm feeling alright, father. Really re-energized after relaxing in my nice comfort zone, you know how it is". He smiled and Mr. Johanssen went terribly quiet. The postman realized he was being a little _too_ ironic. He needed his father to believe him for his plan to work, after all. Therefore, he would have to dismiss his pride and put on a mask to say all the things Mr. Johanssen wanted to hear.

Soon enough, Jesper proceeded, with open arms "I'm ready to work, now. Teach me management!". His father still looked skeptical when he expressed, with an odd tone "I knew you would come around eventually... I thought Smeerensburg would make a negligible amount of change in you. I see how wrong I was, but I’m glad you saw the bigger picture here. You are here for your _future_ , as well, aren’t you?". Jesper couldn’t say the only reason he was there was because of the threat on Mogens, which would get in the way when he asked to have his money back.

The postman gulped and tried to stay confident in his speech "you're right, dad. I really did miss this life. After a while, being back here made me realize how much I did so. I don't want to work in Smeerensburg anymore, not even next year. I want to stay here". His father was still so surprised, so Jesper tried to cool down a bit. It would be obvious he was bluffing if everything was _perfectly_ in place. He got closer to the man while requesting "but I won't be knowing any good women or getting married anytime soon, alright?", and he gave a look like he was pleading with him. His father thought about it for a moment and then smiled "well, one thing at a time, then?", and squeezed his son’s shoulder. Jesper smiled in return, but as soon as Mr. Johanssen turned to face the window, he went serious again.

Mr. Johanssen spoke, while looking at the view outside "so... Management! It won't be easy and you can't get lazy. You need to learn it properly if you ever want to reach as close as me and my excellency at it. Maybe you could even be a headmaster yourself! Wouldn’t that be wonderful?”. Jesper stayed back with his hands pressed together at the front and a straight posture. He soon expressed "I'm sure I couldn't be like you even if I tried all my life, father", he cleared his throat before finishing it, "but I will try my best, regardless". Mr. Johanssen turned around to face him and, while lighting a cigarette, he went on "you'll be learning and training for a whole year with the absolute best people there is. And I can help you, too. In whatever you need". He offered his son a cigarette as well and Jesper promptly took it "perfect! I can’t wait to start". Mr. Johanssen went ahead to light it for him with his usual gold lighter, all very thoroughly and baffling.

This was still going _too_ well, so Jesper added, after a drag "and if I don’t like it? Can I still just work as a regular postman at the post office… Here?". His father was worried for a second, but he soon had a relieved expression once he heard the "here", as in the big city. He laughed at little and, after a big breath, he assured "oh, boy. Of course! Whatever you want. But you must know that the salary, as well as the prestige, is much higher in management". Jesper gave a small step aside, since the man was sending some smoke on his way "that's alright, I wanna make myself useful in something I like. So, we'll see", he tried saying it casually, smoking in between sentences.

Mr. Johanssen had a big smile and he touched his son on the shoulder. Ashes were falling on Jesper’s coat as he asserted “I'm so happy you came into your senses, my son!", before caressing his cheek with his other hand and giving one light slap on it after. Jesper narrowed his eyes and kept his head up with a closed smile. He then affirmed "and I'm happy to be here”. Mr. Johanssen pulled him for a hug and, although quick, it felt like it lasted for an eternity.

Jesper made his way to leave, although pretending he just remembered something unimportant, he turned back and asked his father, who was sitting back on his chair, still full with sterling joy "oh yeah, also, can I get access to my bank account again? I mean... I need to buy new clothes, some scarves to go with it, another good and proper boot, cigarettes…”, he lifted the one he had in hand, “and, you know... Live my life in the city as before; pay for the restaurants I like and the places I go, in general. I can’t wait to get my life together, dad. Can I have that back as I'm learning the management ways of the Academy, please?".

His father was in a really good mood after their conversation, so he agreed to it without any hesitation. He grabbed a paper to write the bank right away, like he was giving his son a reward for his good behavior. While signing and stamping the letter with his official seal, Mr. Johanssen notified “you can start right away, then! Go find my secretary. She will give you a tour of the place and explain each sector. I’ll be with you shortly”.

All Jesper wanted to do at that instant was ride off to Kelden and find the Brooks family, but leaving now would raise suspicions and his father would back out on his decision regarding the account’s access. Therefore, he needed to play his part a little while longer.


	29. The Trip to Kelden

Jesper got up really early the next morning with only one thing on his mind: riding off to Kelden with Bernard by his side. The postman sped walked to the dining room to grab a cup of coffee before leaving, but he was surprised with his father already there. “Good morning, my son. Slept well?”, the man asked, while lowering the papers he was reading. After stopping abruptly, Jesper cleared his throat “yes, father. I did, thank you. How about yourself?”, and he tried to control his obvious shaky voice.

He started walking again, slower this time, and sat on the chair beside Mr. Johanssen, pretending that was what he intended to do, anyway. As they ate, his father spoke “you did really well yesterday, Jesper. You truly understood the premises of everything so efficiently. You see what happens when you put some effort into things? You can be exceptional in what you do. I always had faith you could”. The postman almost rolled his eyes if he wasn’t paying attention to his every move. That last part was hardly true, since his father always judged him and pointed out everything that was _wrong_ with him every time they talked for longer than five minutes.

Instead of commenting about it, Jesper expressed “yes, I guess so. What are we doing today, then?”. After a sip of his coffee, Mr. Johanssen explained “well, you still need to understand meticulously how each sector and activities are proceeded, as well as to how we can select the best people to accomplish each task, accordingly. But first, you need to meet with all of the board members”, and he looked at his pocket watch before continuing “which is arranged already. They will be waiting for us, shortly. We must go now, if we don’t want to be late. You wouldn’t want to cause a bad first impression, would you?”. Jesper really couldn’t care less, but he agreed “of course not”, and smiled, while putting his fork back on the plate, after realizing his grip was stronger than needed.

\--

At the board meeting, Jesper made sure to give his best. He thought “ _might as well at this point!_ ”, since everything was working out as planned and the last thing he needed was to screw things up now.

Most of the men in the room was about his father’s age, and only one or two looked older. He was trying to listen carefully while they all talked about crucial, but boring things regarding the Academy, although all he could think about was how in the world did his father got the approval of those important men to send him to Smeerensburg, after he failed all of his exams. There was something more there, besides no other postman wanting to go to that island, and he finally realized as they talked: all those men had so much _respect_ for Mr. Johanssen, to an extent that he wasn’t only the headmaster in business, but also, in their fellowship group. His father wasn’t feared, like he imagined, but _appreciated_ , genuinely. Also, he was like a whole other man in the presence of those people: calm, polite and thoughtful, especially towards Jesper. He was like the postman always wanted him to be when they were alone together.

Pretty soon, he decided to focus on the actual topics of the discussion, asking intelligent and critical questions, while giving useful opinions on how everything worked at the Academy. Jesper supported the ideas of others, suggested some things himself and accepted their concerns whenever they didn’t agree with something he said. In the end, Jesper was pointed as an exceptional and reliable addiction to the Academy’s management.

As he shook everyone’s hand when they were leaving, the oldest man there stopped and talked to his father briefly, who was standing next to him at the door “you surely do have a splendid son, Mr. Johanssen. He really owns up to his name”, and he chuckled as he shook Jesper’s hand before walking out. The postman smiled, feeling proud of himself. His father commented “you make me so proud, Jesper. I’m sure you will achieve wonderful things here”.

For some reason, Jesper was feeling emotional and his eyes started to water a bit. He never thought his dad would say those things to him, not in such a _truthful_ manner. He hoped for that all of his life and that was where he stood now. But he didn’t long for it anymore. His goal wasn’t money or his father’s approval, but a happy life, doing what he loved to do, which was being a postman, making kids happy and, of course, having great friends and his lover by his side.

His father noticed the shift in his face, so Jesper said, before the man could speak his mind “when’s lunch?! Right about now, isn’t it? I’m starving”. Mr. Johanssen nodded to the last two men leaving the room and then turned back to his son “yes, it seems like it. You go ahead. I need to resolve some things at my office first. I’m sure you miss that great restaurant close to the house, correct? With that nice and tasty Oysters Bienville dish”.

Jesper really liked seafood in general, but always hated oysters in particular. He didn’t think his father knew anything about him even if his life depended on it; it was like the man made an effort to _forget_ everything related to his son. Jesper got even more irritated once he recalled a faraway memory from that exact same restaurant: one of his mother’s last nights out was there and, of course, Jesper threw a tantrum at the place refusing to eat those wretched oysters.

The postman took a deep breath and lied “yes. That would be great right now, with a fine wine”. His father was smiling and he touched Jesper’s arm “we meet again after lunch? There’s some other people I want you to meet still today, if possible”. Jesper fixed the collar of his coat, getting ready to leave “alright, I’ll be back later, then”, he assured, knowing very well he wouldn’t.

It was time now; that was it. He called for Burghard and asked to be taken to the house.

\--

As soon as he got back, Jesper went straight to his room to get the handgun he took from his father’s office. Jesper didn't know how to handle a gun very well, but it was alright, since the object was merely an accessory for his plan.

Getting back to the main entrance, more than ready to finally leave to Kelden, he saw Burghard outside, feeding apples to his horse. He thought about telling the man he wanted to ride himself back to work, but he feared the coachman would go running to his father if he suspected anything unusual.

He hid behind a wall, watching the man carefully. "How are we going to leave, sir?", Bernard questioned, appearing behind him in a really sudden manner. Jesper jumped with fright, already starting to sweat a little. He whispered, even though Burghard was outside and couldn't hear them "holy shit, you _scared_ me, Bernard!", he looked back at the coachman and answered, "I don’t know".

Bernard was reflecting and eventually let out "I have a plan that could work easily with your normal behavior, if I may, sir?". Jesper nodded and his butler went outside to talk to the man. The postman stayed put and just observed them from afar. He saw Burghard rolling his eyes and getting back on his carriage. The man soon rode off and Jesper was curious to know what Bernard said to him.

Once the butler came back, Jesper expressed his curiosity "how did you manage that?!". Bernard had a proud smile on his face as he explained "I told him something believable and upsetting for him, that wouldn't raise suspicions or further questioning...". Jesper rose his eyebrows, suggesting for Bernard to continue. His butler cleared his throat "I told him your lunch didn't sat well and you were feeling under the weather after throwing it all up, and that now you were resting in your room, taking the rest of the day off". Jesper grinned and tapped his shoulder "you're a genius, Bernard. That does sounds like me", taking no offence at all, which made his butler relieved. Bernard was straight forward and strict, but on top of it all, he respected Jesper very much.

Without anything or anyone in their way now, they both got on the postman's carriage with his own horse and they rode off.

\--

When they got to Kelden, Jesper felt a weird sensation passing through his body. That was _Mogens hometown_. He must’ve passed through those same streets thousands of times and any of those houses could be the one he lived.

They soon noticed everyone was staring at them. Since it was a small coast town, the people probably knew each other really well and the both of them were obviously outsiders. “What now?”, Bernard asked.

Jesper was thinking as he kept guiding the horse. As soon as he saw a tavern, he said, pointing to the facade “I guess that’s our best shot in finding them”. They got off the carriage and walked towards the place.

As Jesper was coming in, he almost fell to the ground, because the door was abruptly open. “Sorry, mister!”, a little boy apologized, still in a hurry to leave. Jesper giggled and was about to say it was fine when a little girl came running after the boy. He quickly moved back to give her room and she was gone. “ _Stay where I can see ya, both of you!_ ”, a woman shouted from inside the tavern.

Bernard and Jesper made their way in and sat on the stools in front of the bar. The barkeep woman expressed “so sorry about that, gentlemen. What can I get ya?”. As soon as she looked at the postman's face, she completely froze. Jesper was still smiling a bit as he asked for two beers, but the woman just kept gazing him, with incredulous eyes.

“Is there something the matter?”, he asked her, looked at Bernard and then frowned his eyebrows back at her. “ _Jesper Johanssen?!_ ”, she finally let out, automatically putting the two cups of beer in front of them, almost spilling it.

His heart started beating so fast. How did that woman know him? He wasn’t familiar with anyone from that town, unless… “ _Tereza?_ ”, he asked, and his smile went wider than before once she nodded. She quickly went around the counter and hugged him tight “oh, my boy. How you’ve grown into such a handsome man! You have your mother’s eyes, and her smile! It’s just the same”.

They went apart and Jesper explained to Bernard, that seemed very much confused “she was one of my mother’s greatest friends. We used to see each other a lot when I was a kid”. She was still holding his arm with such affection while speaking “how I missed you. We would make picnics in the park every weekend! Remember that?”.

Jesper was feeling so happy thinking about his mother that his eyes began to water. Tereza swiped a hand on his cheek “I’m so sorry I couldn’t be there when she was gone. Your father, well, he… It doesn’t matter now”. Jesper held her hand “what, what happened then, with my father?”. She hesitated, looking serious at them “he didn’t allow me to visit you, Jesper. I was a humble woman, after all. He didn’t like my friendship with your mother very much since the start”.

He was recollecting it all “you met her at church, right?”. She was smiling again “yes, my boy. She helped me a lot, when I most needed. She was an angel in my life”. Bernard was drinking his beer with an unsurprised expression, but Jesper was still a little shocked. As a kid, he didn’t realize those sorts of things. Only when he got older, he understood some of his father’s behaviors towards less fortunate people, and “different” people from himself, in general.

“What are you doing in good old Kelden, Jesper? Are you lost?”, she asked, with concern, but curious. Jesper was quick to explain “I’m actually looking for… The Brooks family?”. The woman was suddenly surprised as she crossed her arms “what do you want with _them?_ ”. Jesper got a good sip from his beer and then, he puckered his lips before saying “let’s just say I need to clear one of my father’s messes in my life”. Tereza nodded “I see”, and went back behind the counter, since a couple of new clients had arrived.

After serving them, she came back and elucidated “Mrs. Brooks is probably at home. She doesn’t have a _proper_ job at the moment… Mr. Brooks, however, will be back in a bit. He’s out there at the sea, fishing with his crew. They always come here after a fishing trip”. So, it seemed like life was still the same for them, after so many years.

Tereza grabbed his hand when he least expected “you probably don't remember, Jesper, but I tried going to the funeral with my husband. We weren't allowed to be there, because we weren't _dressed_ properly, or whatever excuse your father gave to the man who asked us to leave”. His father really was such a prejudiced person, in so many ways. Sometimes, the postman couldn’t even believe a woman like his mother even wanted to marry a man like him. Maybe he was different before Jesper was born. Or maybe he fooled his mother into thinking he was a good man; that surely sounded more accurate.

Jesper put his hand over hers “I missed you after you left, even as young as I was. And then, after my mom died, I… I don’t know, I was just numb”. After some silence, he looked at his butler for a second and continued “Bernard helped me a lot when he started working at the house”. The man put his cup down “I'm glad I was there to take care you, Mr. Jesper, even though I couldn't for most of your teen years. You became… Unreachable. I'm sorry for that”. Jesper was facing the butler now and he spoke attentively “there was nothing you could've done, Bernard. I was grieving”. “For longer than you should have, sir. Literally _years_ ”, he quickly shot back, but calm either way. Tereza squeezed the postman’s hand and expressed, in a gasp “oh, Jesper...”. The postman bit his lips and assured, after a deep sigh “well, I’m alright now, and there's something important I can do today. I can’t make my father happy, so I need to let him go of my life, once and for all”.

Tereza questioned what his father got to do with the Brooks family and Jesper explained the basics about what happened and why he was there. For his surprise, the woman actually knew the Brooks brothers pretty well. She spoke “it was a really dark time for everyone here, after that dreadful fishing trip accident. Everyone knew all of the boys on that boat”. Tereza started to swipe the counter before continuing, “Mogens was a real troublemaker, but still a good boy, and Mikkel… That young man never hurt a fly. He was so kind and so serious since such a young age. He was probably gonna marry the mayor's daughter”.

Jesper almost chocked on his drink “he was gonna marry who?”, and the woman confirmed “yeah. Their father was real happy about the relationship. That girl’s family were the richest one here”. So, even Mikkel was loved with an interest behind. Of course he was. It was all about _money_ and it always has been.

Tereza broke the silence that lingered “Mogens had been through a lot, not sure you know about… With his father?”, and Jesper nodded. She soon went on “my tavern was a safe haven for them. When his father hurt him, he came to me. He was bleeding so much… I sewed him up, calmed him down and went to get his brother. They stayed with me for a few weeks before going back to their family’s home. His father came here and said he was sorry; that it wouldn't happen again”.

The woman was thinking for a moment and then continued “so, they went back home, but that family… It just wasn’t right for them. Mikkel was clever; he never left Mogens out of his sight again after that. They were always together, even more so than before”.

The postman had a hand supporting his chin, as he listened carefully to everything Tereza was telling them. He soon asked “and Mogens? How was he, then?”. The woman got comfortable, leaning on the counter with her arms “Mogens was such a funny boy. He was always pulling pranks on people; smiling and laughing with his brother, even after all odds... But after that fishing trip, it became a witch hunt in Kelden. And he was just… Gone. There were rumors that he was shot dead somewhere, or that he drowned himself at the sea. I never fully believed them”. She smiled and added “I’m happy to know that he's alive and well, and... That he found _love_ ”, getting a bashful smile from Jesper in return.

Suddenly, the little boy came back running and crying, while the girl shouted behind him “it wasn’t me, mom! I swear”. Tereza was fast to ask “what’s the matter? What’s wrong?!”, and the boy was already hugging her legs. After some hiccups, he said “she broke my crayon. Look!”. He had two red pieces of the colored wax on his hand.

They were all shouting and discussing this urgent matter when Jesper interrupted them “hey, let me take a look at that, little man”, and he held out his hand. The boy was shy, but after a nod from his mother, he gave the two pieces to the postman. “No need to cry. There’s a quick fix for that”, he explained, while grabbing a lighter from his pocket.

They were all quiet, watching Jesper work with the heated wax. Once the crayon was back together, he got up and went behind the counter, holding it carefully “now we just need to put it under cold water, and…”, he turned on the tap and proceed to do what he was saying. Then, he took a cloth to dry the crayon before offering it back to the boy “here you go. As good as new!”.

The boy took the crayon slowly and examined it. He smiled in great joy “thank you, mister!”. The little girl had a relieved look on her face “it doesn’t matter who broke it now, right?”, which made Jesper laugh a bit.

“So, you guys like to draw? I love it!”, the postman pointed out, with excitement in his eyes. “What can you draw?”, the girl asked and Jesper thought for a while, before saying “I can draw flying reindeers, carrying a sledge with a bunch of presents for children, with a nice bearded man inside to deliver them”. The kids stared at each other and then they started laughing frenetically. Jesper teased “what? It’s a _real_ thing that happens where I live. Would you like to see how it looks like?”, and both of them shouted together “yes!”.

Bernard and Tereza kept chatting at the bar and Jesper went to sit at a table with the children. They drew a bunch, laughed and talked about all sorts of things. The little boy said “I wish Santa Klaus would come here too”, and Jesper assured “maybe he could, someday”. “Really?!”, the boy squeaked, with sparkling eyes. Jesper smiled at him “let’s hope so”.

After a good while, Bernard came to Jesper’s table. The butler looked extremely bored. The tavern was full and Tereza was walking around, serving the clients and the postman was now playing a board game with the two children. He barely noticed the butler sitting down, so he got a small fright once the man touched his shoulder to say “it’s already dark out, Mr. Jesper. I don’t think he’s coming here”. Jesper frowned as he faced him “what, really?!”. The little girl interrupted their talk “it’s your turn, Jesper”, and the postman grinned at her and grabbed the dices.

Meanwhile, Bernard pushed the crayons off the papers next to the game board and curled his lips up “Mr. Jesper! These look wonderful. I missed seeing your lovely drawings”. The postman was actually quite good at it, but he never really took any classes or truly dedicated enough on his talent to reach his full potential, although the faces of the people looked really realistic, especially Klaus’ on his sledge. Just like carving, and also some other things, Jesper was good at it, but not good _enough_ , like on the amount his father would appreciate him for, for instance. The postman was always happy to get compliments from the butler, the one person who actually gave any, for the matter. He expressed “thanks, Bernard. Yeah, and I missed drawing”.

After throwing the dices, he celebrated and moved his piece on the board “look at that! I get to take a short cut through the enchanted forest”. The two siblings started giggling and Jesper questioned “what is it? Isn’t that good?”, and the boy, still giggling a little, was quick to respond “yes, if you can kill the dragon all by yourself”. The postman was already gone from the talk with Bernard and, with incredulous eyes and a sigh of fear, he lamented “oh, but I’m scared of dragons. Can any of you help me?”. The girl took the dices and assured, as she threw them “I’m almost there! Wait for me and we can combine powers”. Jesper bit his lip and smiled, nodding at her, but the boy was mad “that’s not fair! What am _I_ gonna do without any dragon’s loot at the end?!”. The postman promised “we can leave you some on the way, right?”, however, the girl wasn’t happy “nah ah!”, and they started fighting over it. 

Bernard called for Jesper again “sir, maybe we should come back another day. We don’t know how this place is during the night”, but Jesper joked “are you scared, Bernard? Of a nice evening in Kelden? Believe me, I’ve been through worst”.

As he got back to the kids to try and come up with a solution for the dragon's loot problem, the door flung open and five men walked in. The one in front shouted "Tereza! Pour me some whiskey". From the bar, the woman looked straight at Jesper and nodded, before turning back to the man and enquiring “do you have enough money for that this time?”. He sat down on one of the stools in front of the bar and the others followed. He really looked like Mogens from the back and his voice was quite similar too, only older. “I'm celebrating today, yeah? Do me a favor”, the man demanded and Tereza already looked displeased with the situation.

She said, leaning on the counter “let's see the money first”. Annoyed, he pulled his last coins out of his pockets and looking down at it, he gambled “some rum, then”. She started counting the coins and he banged his hand at the counter, raising his voice “I’ll give you a fish too, woman! C’mon”. Jesper got up and began walking towards them, but Bernard held him back.

“I can’t keep taking fish as payment! What do you think this is?”, she shot back and the man got up in rage, ready to curse some names, but he was interrupted by a poke on his back.

The postman had freed himself from the butler and was now standing right behind the fisherman, really nervous, but ready to ask “Mr. Brooks, sir?”. The man slowly turned back and mumbled, in the most condescending tone “who’s asking?”.

Jesper swallowed dry, but held his head high and, with a confident smile, he announced “I’m Mr. Johanssen, sir”.


	30. Fathers and Sons

“Are you sure I can't come with?”, Mogens asked one last time, as he handled the boat steering wheel. It was a chilly and foggy morning, but it was a good weather, compared to previous days. Klaus gave a sarcastic chuckle, still looking forward at the sea "you have to work, did you forget?". The bearded man knew from the look Mogens gave him that he had high hopes the next time they would see each other, it would be with Jesper by his side, but Klaus wasn’t so certain about that. He was going to the big city to give one last try; to make sure about the postman’s intentions and be over and done with it. Furthermore, he never talked to Jesper before the man left, so he also had some things to say regarding next Christmas and all of their plans to expand and bring joy to even more children and, of course, to know how exactly did that fit the postman’s greedy plans. However, Klaus wasn’t going to look back if Jesper’s main concern in life was money and a luxurious life. He was going to be there for Mogens to pick up the pieces and help him move on from it all. Soon, that sad and cold winter would just become a memory in their minds.

Suddenly, a high-pitched sneeze broke the silence that followed and they remembered about Nikolas sitting at the back. It seemed like the red-haired man was falling ill with the flu, but thankfully, he would soon be gone from that frosty Smeerensburg weather.

Klaus rode with Nikolas all the way to the big city, where the man actually lived before. For a good part of the journey, the postman complained about Jesper, “that man really had no scrupulous! He didn’t even know how to handle the carrier pigeons. What a joke, ' _the best postman Smeerensburg has ever had_ '… I doubt that! He could never reach my level as a postman”. Klaus was tired of hearing so many complaints, so he shot back “would you like to prove everyone wrong? We can always turn back, if you really want to”. Nikolas cleared his throat and began stuttering his words “well, I… You see… I couldn’t…”, therefore, the bearded man assured “If you have nothing to say, please, don’t say anything at all. I would like to have a nice and quiet journey, if that’s alright with you”.

It was already late at night when they finally reached the city. After dropping Nikolas where he requested, the red-haired man explained to Klaus how to get to the famous Johanssen’s place and then, they parted ways.

It wasn't hard to find the house, or better saying, _mansion_. The bearded man was speechless when he arrived there. It looked bigger than every house in that city, and all cities he had ever been to, for the matter. There was a garden in the front with multiple fountains and he could see it had a big field at the back; a lot of space for horses and trees.

He stood in front of the main gates and Burghard got close already with his chin up "what is your business here, sir?". Klaus had a collected and serious look on his face "I need to speak with Mr. Johanssen's son, Jesper. Is he here?". The coachman narrowed his eyes “he’s not home. And who are you meant to be?”. The bearded man wanted to get inside to wait for Jesper, but he feared his father would prevent them from talking in peace.

Klaus spoke, calmly "I'm just a friend. Can you tell me where I could find him?". The man behind the gate explained, after some thought "I intend to go pick them up in a short while”. "Both of them, together?", Klaus questioned, but he soon noticed he seemed too eager to know the answer, so he gave a step back and fixed his beard, trying to think of what else he could say.

Burghard was suspicious as he started to focus on Klaus’ dirty boots and tired face "you seem to come a long way...". Now, Klaus was nervous to give anything away "I'll come back later", it was all he thought of, before turning back to the street. "Wait!", the man shouted, making him stop walking. "You can wait inside", Burghard continued, giving a weird smile as he opened the gate.

Once Klaus got through, the coachman affirmed "I will go seek Mr. Jesper right now! So, I'll let him know...?", and he made gestures with his hand, waiting to hear the mysterious figure’s name. "Klaus", the bearded man said and Burghard went on “that Mr. Klaus is waiting for him at the house".

They walked inside the place and Klaus was suddenly left alone. He didn’t even notice the coachman disappearing from his sight; that man sure looked like a ghost in all aspects. He was getting truly apprehensive and heat began to build up his chest, therefore, he took his red coat off and put it on a armchair close to the main door.

After a moment, Burghard came back and pointed out “this way, sir”, and Klaus was led to somewhere else in that huge palace.

\--

Mr. Brooks had a doubtful look on his face when he commented “you seem _quite young_ to be Mr. Johanssen… I know he’s a much older man than you! A real big deal; the richest men in this region. I don’t think you’re him”. He walked closer and closer to Jesper, who was giving a few steps back “who the hell are you and how do you know my name?”. The postman abruptly stopped, and affirmed, really near his face “I’m his son. I’m here... In his behalf! I take care of his personal affairs outside of the big city”.

The fisherman crossed his arms after humming “prove it, then”, and Jesper laughed it off, looking at Bernard and then, back to the man “excuse me?”. Mr. Brooks didn’t look away from him even for a second, and he went on “prove you're a part of the Johanssen family!”.

Jesper licked his lips and gave a little huff before lifting the part of his coat that covered his waist to reveal the handgun with the Johanssen family gold insignia. That gun was one in a kind, no replica outside of the family could exist, as it was in all prestigious and important families out there.

The man curved to take a closer look at it. The gold shined so bright and Mr. Brooks tested “what makes you so trustworthy, eh? Besides this gun you could have stolen from Mr. Johanssen?”. Jesper felt the sweat starting to build up around his temples, so he hurled back, fast “I’m not asking you to sign anything, am I? I’m just here trying to give you the money my father promised you”.

With that money talk, Mr. Brooks seemed pleased enough, “so, you _are_ here to talk about the cash… But also!”, the man grabbed Jesper by the arm and whispered in his ear “he said he could tell me where my _son_ is. Do you happen to know anything about that, lad?”.

The people at the tavern was staring at them, therefore, Jesper asked “is there somewhere we can talk more privately about it all?”, and Mr. Brooks nodded, letting go of him.

The postman waved the kids and Tereza goodbye and followed the man out, alongside Bernard. A couple of blocks later, they were at the Brooks family home.

A man was just leaving the place with his head down and Mr. Brooks didn’t even acknowledge his existence. Bernard was skeptical about going inside, but Jesper gave him a frown, followed by a positive nod.

It was a very simple house. The kitchen and the living room were one and there was a long and dark corridor at the corner, that most likely led to the rooms. Jesper stopped mid-walk as he came across something unsettling on the wooden floor beneath his boots. _There it was_ , a prove of a crime he already knew it had happened: a large and dark-red stain, right next to the couch.

He was immersed in thoughts of Mogens as a young boy, cut and bleeding right there, when he heard Mr. Brooks’ loud voice “woman, we are getting that cash today! Get your ass up and grab us a drink”. The postman soon noticed Mrs. Brooks lying on the couch with the most tired expression, but once she heard the word “cash”, a grin appeared on her face.

Looking directly at Jesper, she questioned “are _you_ the Mr. Johanssen who promised us some good money?”, but before he could say anything, Mr. Brooks was quick to correct “that’s the son. But same shit, different smell. We're about to get cash! Aren’t we?”, and they both stared at Jesper. The postman glimpsed to Bernard before clearing his throat “yeah-, yes! Of course. We will discuss everything”.

When the woman got up, her husband grabbed her ass and demanded “hurry up. Get that good liquor I brought in the other day”. She turned around and pushed his hand away “we’re out of that one”. The man frowned in anger and held her arm tight “what?! Did you drink it _all_ , woman?”, and then proceeded to take some bills from inside of her bra “I guess you’re paying it this time”.

He soon got annoyed once he saw the amount there was “is that all you got?! What a cheap bastard!”. She took a fast look at Jesper and Bernard standing there, just listening to them, and went back to her husband to say, in a whisper “he didn’t want much of me today”. Mr. Brooks was still holding her arm “you need to get out there more, hun”, but in a fast movement, she freed herself from his grip and went to the kitchen area, shouting back “I thought we wouldn’t have to worry about money anymore once Mr. Johanssen finally decided to show up! And here he is. Sort of”.

Mr. Brooks sat on the couch and motioned for Jesper and Bernard to do the same “let’s talk”.

The butler was sitting right beside Mr. Brooks and Jesper was on a simple chair, that was barely holding on. Mrs. Brooks came back with four cups of beer and she put them on the center table. They all took one, even though the postman didn’t feel like drinking. It would be rude to refuse, even more so since they seemed to be in a really good mood and eager to discuss everything.

After a sip, Jesper spoke “I came here personally to let you know, firstly, that it was a false lead on your son… Mogens Brooks”. He gave a short cough on his hand and added “yeah, we don’t know where he is”. Mr. Brooks cursed in a lower tone and then scratched his arms through the fabric of his coat.

His wife, on the other hand, sat on his other side, after focusing on Jesper with a blank expression while he was talking before. Bernard was obviously very tense, staring back at the postman, almost without blinking and Jesper was starting to feel a little nervous himself.

Mr. Brooks asked “so, he didn’t do any more crimes, then?! I was hoping he would, so he could finally pay for his other crimes, too”. The man put his cup on the table aggressively before continuing “when he killed his brother and his friends, the police said there was no crime. I mean, by the eyes of the law, he didn't do nothing! But oh, he did. He is a _fucking witch_. It was no accident. It was purposeful! He felt jealous of Mikkel; the nice girl he was it… Mogens never had a girlfriend like that, and he wanted to punish _me_ , especially! He wanted to ruin my life, that freaking bampot”.

Mrs. Brooks started sniffing and her eyes was full with tears. The postman couldn’t help but wonder for whom those tears were meant to be, precisely.

Jesper needed to know what Mr. Brooks discussed with his father, so he could find out were exactly they were standing, although he couldn’t let the man know that he was there kind of clueless, which would be extremely suspicious. Therefore, he questioned “so… Do you still remember my father’s agreement with you?”. Mr. Brooks finished his beer and assured “yeah, of course! It’s all set from my part. I’ll pay all of our debts! Won’t be gambling the money, I promise”. Jesper nodded, pretending that he knew all about it “good... My father will be pleased to hear that. He sure likes to help people in need he comes across with…”.

He almost regretted saying the last part, since there was so little to work with, but the couple didn’t seem to find it odd or anything of the sort. Jesper continued, after letting go of a breath he didn’t even realized he was holding “how much did he tell you, then? About… The situation? Did he explained to you how he came to know about your son, and why did he need information about your family?”.

Mr. Brooks got comfortable on the couch and crossed his arms “he just said that Mogens was causing trouble elsewhere and he needed _family background_ to confirm it was him. Something about illegal mailing and a police investigation… Ah, some horse shit like that”. The man took his coat off and Jesper saw what seemed to be cigarette marks all over his arms. Mr. Brooks went on “your dad said he was the headmaster of the post office when we talked over the telephone. It took you a damn while to come, eh? Trouble with the pigeons?", he mocked before continuing, "I was starting to think we were gonna have to go over there. I know where y’all live! That palace right in the middle of the big city”.

Jesper quickly looked at the man’s eyes, as soon as he realized he was staring at his arms for a little bit too long “hum-, yes! No, no need for that”, and he gave a nervous laugh. Mr. Brooks scratched his arms and expressed “these were a gift from my own father. Harsh man; he raised me well enough". He crossed his arms again and went on "but about the drugs too, I’m clean now! Even though it took a while, I was getting clean to keep my promise to Mr. Johanssen. You can believe me when I say I won’t do drugs no more, and her too! As I said, we’re going to pay our debts”.

Mrs. Brooks gave a quick and forced smile, that disappeared as soon as the man touched her leg. Jesper said with conviction “I sure hope so, Mr. Brooks. My father was very strict to me about how you’ll handle the money”.

After that, the value of the debts were discussed and they talked some more about drugs and gambling as being something already in the past for them. Jesper wasn’t so sure if he believed all of that, but he wasn’t there to help Mogens’ parents, after all. Mr. Brooks folded and stored the check Jesper gave him in his pocket with a big smile “I appreciate the extra amount, lad”.

Then, he looked at Bernard and asked the postman “who is he, anyway? Not much of a talker, eh? Were you too scared to come around these parts alone?”, and he laughed alone. That was exactly why Bernard was there, but also, to give Jesper some moral support. “He’s my escort, yes. And a friend”, the postman chose to say, smiling lightly at the butler’s way.

Getting up from their seats, Jesper walked to the door and Bernard followed. He expressed “well, it seems like we are done here. I highly advise you to actually pay for all of your debts as soon as possible. Otherwise, Mr. Johanssen will invalidate the check. He wants to help you, not finance more gambling”.

Mr. Brooks was already right behind him “of course! I’ll make sure of that. First thing in the morning! You let him know. And tell him we are so grateful”. Jesper grinned and, trying to be less ironical as possible, he said “I hope you can find your son someday, sir. He’s certainly alive and well somewhere”. Mrs. Brooks came to the door in a rush and stood beside her husband “he took my golden child. _Damn him!_ ”.

Jesper frowned in confusion. So, not even Mogens’ mother cared for him, and he almost died to save her from his father when he was just a teenage boy. Soon enough, the postman felt anger rising in him but then, sadness and emptiness too. Mikkel really was the best person the ferryman ever had in his life, as he said before. “He can be _dead_ , for all we care”, Mr. Brooks completed, while Jesper was lost in thoughts.

After listening to that, Jesper took a deep breath and put a hand over his gun. “I’m aware you have your reasons”, he tried to understand, while narrowing his eyes and giving a very fake smile. Bernard tried to whisper something in the postman’s ear, but he couldn’t be heard, since Mrs. Brooks was lamenting “we don’t need another curse in our lives. That boy was a killer, a witch in disguise… We should’ve known already when he tried to get my husband arrested”. Jesper’s blood was boiling inside of his skull now and it only made it worse when Mr. Brooks added, after an abrupt cough “yeah, he hurt himself and tried to blame it on me! We are better off without him”.

The couple was holding onto each other, although the woman seemed uncomfortable by it. Meanwhile, Jesper got a better grip at his gun, but Bernard tapped his shoulder “we are late to our next meeting, sir! We have more people to visit”. It was already late at night, but nobody was paying attention to the details.

The butler talked again, extremely nervous, while watching what it seemed to be Jesper pulling the gun out slowly “we will miss our _ferry ride_ , sir!”, and the postman finally went back to thinking logically. He lowered his hand, scratched the scar on his forehead and then quickly waved at Mogens’ parents as he stepped outside “that’s right. We must go now. Take care of yourselves”, and goodbyes were exchanged.

Back at were the carriage was, Jesper petted the horse as he breathed the cold night air deeply. His butler stood behind him “What were you thinking, Mr. Jesper?! You almost messed with the whole plan”. Jesper was still giving his attention to the horse and he brushed all his hair back with his other hand “I wasn't actually gonna _shoot_ the man, Bernard. Honestly”.

The butler stepped closer and pulled the blond man by the shoulder in a sharp manner so he would look at his face “are you sure? You seemed pretty determined. You can't be with a gun if whenever you feel angry or upset, your hand goes straight to where it's at, Mr. Jesper”. The postman gulped, meticulously staring back at him. Bernard was really worried. He had that same concern look back from Jesper’s teen years; the darkest years of his life.

The postman didn’t feel like bringing all of that up at that moment, since he always tried not to think about his depressed times too much, so he countered “okay! It's done now, nothing happened. Can we just go back to the city?”, but Bernard just stood there as he held out his hand “first, give me the gun". Jesper gave a short laugh and mocked “are you serious?! Who do you think I'll try to kill?”, and he shut his mouth, stuttered his breathing and blinked in distress the minute he had an idea.

Bernard also didn’t want to bring up the past now “that's not the point, sir. Just give me the gun and I'll keep it safe for you”. Jesper was flexing his jaw and they stared at each other for a good while before he finally gave in, rolling his eyes “fine! Here you go. I don't want it, anyway”.

Once inside the carriage, Bernard commented “I knew the gun wouldn’t be the best part of this plan”, but the postman just sighed and kept quiet.

They were minutes away from the house when the butler asked "are you going to talk with your father tonight?". Jesper looked at the moon and stars in the sky as he replied "he's probably asleep by now. But I'll talk to him tomorrow morning. I won't just disappear. I don’t want him to contact Mr. Brooks out of spite and… I also want to say goodbye to him".

Bernard still had second thoughts about the parts of the plan that were left to luck “do you truly think that just asking your father not to go to Kelden with the excuse that ‘ _the people would talk_ ’ is gonna work? ". Jesper knew his hands were tied on this matter and that the only thing up his sleeve against his father was the man’s deep concerns over his social status.

So, the postman soon acknowledged “I guess I gotta hope for him to have the slightest senses... He _really_ values his appearances, though, you know that! You said it yourself when we were planning", although Bernard shot back “but it's your word against his in the end, Mr. Jesper".


	31. Hope from a Red Coat

Klaus was taken to Mr. Johanssen's office to wait for Jesper. That was odd. Why there? He soon found out when the coachman opened the door. There was a well-dressed man just standing there, staring right back at him.

"I heard you travelled a long way, Mr. Klaus. I'm afraid you wasted your time. Jesper doesn't want to speak with you", the bearded man soon heard. He was mad already; Mr. Johanssen was exceptionally posh and unpleasant.

"I think Jesper can tell me, at least that, in person", Klaus declared. With that, the posh man walked closely and smiled "what do you want with him, exactly?", but Klaus brushed him off "that's something I was intending to discuss with him alone".

Lighting a cigarette, Mr. Johanssen spoke again "I'll be happy to pass on the message. I'll surely let him know". Klaus narrowed his eyes. There was definitely something fishy going on. It was certain that the postman was being kept there and his father had something on him, so the bearded man tried to bluff "why don't we just cut to the chase? I know what’s really going on here", hoping that the other man didn't figure his farse.

After letting out a smoke, Mr. Johanssen countered "oh, you know? You know how much I work hard to give Jesper a good life?". Klaus fixed his posture and said in a serious tone "Mogens didn't deserve what you caused. He shouldn't be a part of this after everything he's been through". The bearded man was calm, but looking straight at Mr. Johanssen’s eyes.

Walking around the room, the posh man questioned “what exactly did my son told you before he left?". He seemed a little intrigued by Klaus, who figured he should keep talking as if he knew the real reason Jesper left. It was obvious now that it wasn't for money. "He told me enough. He asked me not to tell Mogens, but he is suffering too much. I came to try and make things better, for everyone".

Mr. Johanssen laughed as he sat down on his chair, "are you looking for some sort of deal?". Klaus went ahead and stood in front of the table "I hoped that Jesper had persuaded you by now, but this went too far already". Mr. Johanssen spoke as he took his cigarette to an ashtray, settled his elbows onto the armrests and put his hands together “I have everything arranged for his future. Do you really think I'll feel sorry for that ferryman and change my mind? You really don’t know me. And you surely don't know Jesper”.

Klaus wanted to punch the smiled that formed in that man’s face so badly, but he kept his cool “alright… So, will you keep your end of the bargain, then?", and Mr. Johanssen frowned "well, of course, I'm not a barbaric! Besides, Jesper is doing great with his part of the deal. I wouldn't betray him by causing a possible murder for nothing. He would just leave, otherwise. Not telling Mr. Brooks where his son is at is exactly what I got going for me here…”. Mr. Johanssen took his cigarette from the ashtray to get another drag and then, he went on “Jesper is pleased enough to be protecting that ferryman, I know that, but he's also slowly getting back at his old self. He is very satisfied to be here, Mr. Klaus. He appreciates what this family name and I can provide for him".

Klaus was feeling extremely angry, an emotion he wasn’t used to experience so often. He desperately needed some further explanations, but he got the main issue there: the threat on Jesper was _Mogens' life_ itself! So, obviously, the postman chose to break his lover’s heart rather than sentencing him to any chance of death.

"You can't stand in the way of true love!", Klaus burst out, in a defensive tone, and Mr. Johanssen widened his eyes, "true love?! Oh, please. Jesper deserves something better in his life than being with an indigent ferryman on a dreadful island".

All of the sudden, the door was blast open and Jesper got inside the room in a flash, holding Klaus’ red coat in his arms. Burghard was right behind, trying to hold him back, and he shouted "Mr. Johanssen, sir, I tried to keep him away!". Jesper looked at Klaus, heavy breathing and pretty much surprised to see him there.

His father was quick to greet him in an ironic tone “ah, Jesper! How were the oysters? I heard you weren't feeling too good after lunch”. Then, he went on, stricter on his speech “you disappeared for the whole day! We will talk about this later; you made me look bad today. There were very important people waiting to meet you”.

Jesper ignored all of what he just heard and asked "what's going on here?". Before Klaus could say anything, Mr. Johanssen blathered “I was just telling your... Friend here how much you like living in luxury, isn't that true?", but the bearded man completed "besides you being here mainly because of the threat on Mogens!". The postman switched his focus back and forth the two men and, looking back at Klaus, he enquired, in a shocked tone " _did he tell you?_ ".

Mr. Johanssen closed his eyes and sighed as soon as he realized he got played. The posh man asked Klaus "you didn't know about it?!". Klaus was starting to lose his calmness as he explained "Mogens was certain that there was something wrong. I needed to see it for myself. And he was right. Jesper is, in fact, under a threat! What kind of father are you?", his voice going higher at the end.

After recomposing himself, Mr. Johanssen walked closer to Klaus "I beg your pardon, mister?! I'm a father that only wants to guarantee a good future for his son!", but Klaus shouted back "good for _you_ , you mean? What about him?", he demanded an answer, pointing back at Jesper, "what about what _he_ wants; what about his happiness?". Mr. Johanssen was full with hatred in his eyes "happiness?! With that ferryman? That’s not possible! That was just a phase and he's growing out of it. My son is not a poof and you should leave my house at this very instant, you troglodyte!".

Bernard was coming in the room, late to the party and, in a blank of a second, both Jesper and him, as well as Burghard, who was still there, vocally _gasped_ out loud as they watched Klaus actually punch Mr. Johanssen in the face. The posh man tripped backwards abruptly. He didn't fall, although he took a hand over his nose, which was now bleeding. After a moment of silence, he shouted as high as he could “ _you get the hell out of my house!_ ”, and then, he faced Jesper "son, tell him to leave right now, or else!".

The postman put Klaus' red coat on a chair nearby and went to stand in front of his father "or else what? What are you gonna do, dad?". The man was being challenged, so he owned up to it, speaking it slowly and clearly "or else I am going to visit Mr. Brooks and tell him all about his son and his little adventures. His father would certainly love to hear about him, his nice boat and his relations with men!". Jesper immediately laughed at his face "oh, father... You shouldn’t waste your time in Kelden".

Mr. Johanssen was cleaning his nose with a fancy handkerchief, but he questioned, in between sniffs "how do you know which city it is?!", looking a bit concerned. The postman crossed his arms "I just got back from there. Let's just say that the Brooks family is well pleased with all the money I gave them". The man grabbed his son by the shoulders and stained his coat with some blood on the way “what did you do, you little brat?!". Jesper replied, with satisfaction “their debt is paid. I used a good amount of the money on my name for it”. His father stepped back and went to look out the window. He was thinking in great concentration.

Soon enough, the man threatened “what makes you think I won’t go over there to have a talk with Mr. Brooks, regardless? You threw all your money down the gutter, boy”. Jesper went to stand next to him and, as he looked down at the empty streets, he gloated “I’m sure you would love to see that street filled with curious and judgmental people. Oh, the attention and the scandal about all of this when it comes out in the papers... Can you imagine?!”, and he grinned as he thought of something else to say “because I’ll be happy to give my statement about it all... _A Johanssen scandal!_ And your own son against you. People will love that! The papers will sell like hotcakes”.

His father was silent as Jesper leaned against the glass door. He bit his lips and faced down. Then, he glimpsed around the room and saw the other two men there staring back at them in absolute silence. He focused on the office table and then at his mother’s painting on the wall before facing his dad again. The posh man seemed distressed, with a blank and continuous stare at the street outside.

Jesper added “oh, and by the way, I’m going back to Smeerensburg and I'll also gonna keep working at the post office there". Mr. Johanssen finally came back to reality to mock “you must be joking! Do you really think I'll allow this? You can go to hell, but you'll never be a postman again, Jesper!". The postman felt the tears wanting to build up, so he took a deep breath while he walked towards the table.

He tried to open the drawer, but it was locked. “What do you think you're doing?”, Mr. Johanssen asked, apprehensive. Jesper quicky expressed “oh, don’t mind me. Just getting my ticket back to the Smeerensburg post office”, and he motioned for the bearded man to come closer “Klaus, can you give me a hand with this?”.

Without questioning, Klaus was already next to him and, in a matter of seconds, he forced the drawer open. The postman went ahead and took Mrs. Krum letter that was stored there, before saying "choosing a postman to work in Smeerensburg isn’t only your decision to make, is it, father? The Academy’s board already knows how excellent I was at the job on that island, but they would be extra pleased to read this incredibly well detailed letter about my days there, written by one of the town’s leaders herself!”.

He opened the letter and showed it to everyone there, alongside the envelope itself “look at that beautiful signature Mrs. Krum has... And, of course, the great Smeerensburg official stamp”. Scanning his eyes over the letter one more time, he huffed “what a _lovely lady_ she is, isn't she? She praised me so high! It was a bit exaggerated at some parts, but either way… The board will love to read all about it".

Mr. Johanssen pledged from afar “you can’t do this to me, son”. Jesper folded the letter, put it back on its envelope and tucked it inside of his coat “it's up to you, dad. I can go back to Smeerensburg without speaking with the board, if you prefer". He breathed deeply before continuing "and another thing! I surely can’t leave Mogens out of the story, can I? I think those nice men would be so happy for me… That I finally found _love_ , I mean. Me, the son of the headmaster! It will be the talk of the town for months! Too bad I won’t be here to hear it. But _you_ will”.

Mr. Johanssen tried to get close, but Klaus got in the way. His father shot back at him, either way “when did you became such a snake?!”. The postman looked behind him at his mother’s painting one more time “I guess I got it from you, father”, and all he heard in response was his dad's defeated voice in a lower tone than before “I can guarantee that you got a lot from your mother, as well”. It seemed like Mr. Johanssen finally faced the inevitable outcome.

The postman nodded to Klaus and whispered something in his ear. The large bearded man moved out of the way and, pretty soon, it was just Jesper and his father in the room. The postman stood beside the man and assured, genuinely “I still love you, dad, but I have to love myself first”.

Looking deeply into his son's eyes, Mr. Johanssen promised, in a condescending manner “if you leave through that door right now, don’t ever bother coming back. Do you hear me?". Jesper sighed and said, disappointed "I'm sorry you feel this way". He went to the door and his father lamented “It’s my fault. I sent you there to meet that man”.

Turning back one last time, Jesper assured “well… It seems I have something to be grateful to you for".

He closed the door behind him and went to his room to grab a few of his things, quickly. Soon enough, he was outside of his house, saying goodbye to Bernard.

“Will you be okay?”, he asked, with teary eyes. The butler explained, while hugging him “don’t worry about me, Mr. Jesper. It’s time for me to retire anyway, in case I actually do get fired”, and they both laughed, still holding onto each other.

Afterwards, Klaus and Jesper got into their carriages and they rode off, at last. They stopped to rest at an Inn on the way, since both of them were exhausted after so much traveling.

The next morning, they managed to talk during breakfast and catch up on everything, as much as they could. Jesper felt his heart ache once he heard about the bad state Mogens was in because of him, even though he knew he did it all to save the man from their fathers.

\--

Jesper never felt happier with the cold and salted smell in the air once they finally reached Viksengo. He was a little anxious about seeing Mogens again, though. There was so much he wanted to say, but at that instant, nothing he thought of seemed right.

“It’s all going to be alright, Jesper”, Klaus assured once he came into his carriage. Jesper was still inside just sitting there, quietly. The postman stopped biting his lips, something he didn’t even realized he was doing, and faced the bearded man “I don’t know what to say to him”. Klaus reflected for a moment and then put a hand over the blond man’s chest “speak from your heart”. Right after, Jesper nodded, took a big breath and let go of the air quickly, before stepping off.

They were kind of close to the docks and the postman could see Mogens’ boat from there, although he couldn’t find the man himself. The sun was still up for a little while longer and the town was full with people walking by with music playing all around them. Jesper didn’t know anyone there, but he felt warm and fuzzy seeing them all happy on the streets, nonetheless.

Klaus was coming back Jesper’s way after going to check for the ferry schedule that hanged close by “well, I’ll see you later, or perhaps tomorrow morning, once the ferry sails”. The postman automatically grabbed his arm and held him back “wait, you’re not coming with me?”, so Klaus advised “you need to speak with him alone, Jesper. Besides, I still have to do my shopping here for the Sámi gathering we were discussing over breakfast”. “Oh, right”, Jesper let out, as he recalled. He didn’t pay close attention to anything on their talk after they discussed about Mogens.

The postman looked at the Viksengo docks and thought about how much he was eager to be truthful now and be able to say exactly what the ferryman meant to him, undowing all of the lies from before. Looking back at Klaus, he saw the bearded man finishing tying up his horse and already walking away, waving him goodbye.

The more Jesper walked towards the docks, the faster his heart started to beat. Nothing could go wrong now! Mogens would surely be happy to see him and take him in his arms. Klaus said over breakfast how much the ferryman missed him. And he was finally there, after all. So, why was he so nervous? Did he really feared rejection? He should just calm down, get to the docks and call for the man he loved right away; simple as that! And… _There he was_.

The moment Jesper saw Mogens again, he completely froze. His heart dropped and his mouth felt dry. But, he licked his lips and resumed his walking, as a thousand of different thoughts went racing through his mind. The ferryman hadn't seen him yet, since he was kneeling down, tying a rope. Then, Jesper was there at last, by his side, blocking the sun.

“The ferry doesn't leave until tomorrow morning”, Mogens explained with a worn-out voice, still concentrated on his task. He made a mistake with the rope and had to start all over again. The ferryman cursed in whispers, “for fuck’s sake”.

Watching it all unfold, the postman put his hands inside his coat pockets and after a short chuckle, he gloated “I could tie that knot even blindfolded”.

Mogens looked up _instantly_ at the sound of that sweet and familiar voice. He drew a deep, shuddering breath as he saw what he thought was a mirage: Jesper Johanssen, actual Jes, just standing there all red, smiling back at him.


	32. New Horizons

Without speaking a word, the ferryman got back to tying the knot and Jesper’s smile faded away as he waited, in silence. When Mogens got up, they just stared at each other, really carefully. There was something wrong. The ferryman didn’t seem too pleased to see him. Jesper looked down and fidgeted with his boot on the small rocks at the ground and then, he made a movement to walk forward, but decided against it. Instead, he stood still and said, softly “hi”.

Mogens finally managed to let out “what-, you really came back?”, and the postman affirmed “I came back to you”. The ferryman huffed sarcastically while nodding “yeah? And for how long is that, Jesper? Another month or two?”, and he completed, giving shoulders, “or maybe is just for this week?”. Jesper felt a deep shiver down his spine and a knot in his throat as he heard those words. Mogens was so… Mad. He could be missing Jesper like Klaus said, but he was still legitimately upset about being left unexpectedly, and the postman couldn’t blame him for it. Abruptly disappearing from the ferryman's life had more emotional consequences than he expected.

Nonetheless, Jesper spoke up, optimistically “I came back for good! I didn’t mean anything of what I said that day… At the beach”. The ferryman looked down at the blond man’s hands, which was covered with the gloves he gave him early winter, and Jesper went on “I wanna stay here in Smeerensburg… With you”. Mogens looked so confused and amazed with that conversation that he widened his eyes as he implied “so, money wasn’t enough for you, then? You suddenly realized that after leaving me?”.

Just standing there still, completely stagnant, Jesper had his mouth half open and a big frown on his forehead. The ferryman really believed that he just _now_ had some sort of epiphany about wanting Mogens in his life rather than money, and that he had to spend some time back in the big city to come to this conclusion. For Mogens, it was like he was a second option, just in case Jesper’s old life wasn’t up to his momentary liking anymore and, being with Mogens was just an adventure he was missing after leaving, having no actual consideration for the ferryman’s feelings, whatsoever. Did he think that Jesper would start missing his luxury life in the future and leave him all over again?

The thought of it all caused an intense desperation in Jesper, so he assured, in a rush “that’s not what happened at all! Let me explain”. The ferryman crossed his arms in a defensive manner. It was obvious he was broken hearted and trying to protect himself from even more damage the postman could cause him. Jesper felt like bursting out words, but he organized his thoughts and reasoned, at first “so much has happened, but you can be certain about one thing, Mogens: _I truly love you_ , and I never stopped loving you. I told you lies and I’m sorry for that. I had to”.

Mogens came closer and stopped inches away from his face. He spoke louder “you _had_ to?! You had to leave me here all of this time, miserable as I’ve been? Why?! Why did you do that to me?”. The ferryman was really waiting to hear the blond man speak the words that would kill him inside. It was like he wanted to take the hit now to finally be done and free of this suffering later. It was better than not knowing anything for certain, like it has been for the past few weeks.

Jesper grabbed Mogens’ hands, also covered with gloves, and lamented “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry… I was under a threat”. The ferryman closed his eyes right away, sighed and let out, in a lower tone “I called that at the start… Goddammit”, and he tightened his grip on the postman’s hands.

After a while, Mogens pushed their hands towards Jesper’s chest and pointed out, dreary “I could’ve helped you, Jesper! But you just shut me out! You made me promise that time over Christmas I wouldn’t do anything without you and now, you just…”. The postman interrupted him “I didn’t have a choice”, but Mogens kept going “you just took off and ditched me. And I was here just thinking that… Maybe you _did_ want your old fancy life back and I was just kidding myself thinking that what we had was real”. The postman had watery eyes when he touched their foreheads together.

Then, he explained, with his eyes closed “it was real! Of course it was real, Mogens. I love you. I love you with all of my heart”. They were both heavy breathing and they stood still for a moment, until Jesper finally looked back to the ferryman and added “but my love for you would ruin your life”. Mogens asked, impatiently “what do you mean?!”, and the blond man went on “I had to protect you”.

The ferryman was more confused than before. In a quick motion, he took off his gloves to feel the warmth of Jesper’s red cheeks directly under his fingers. Mogens tried to understand while caressing his face “what did he threatened you with? What were you protecting me from?”. The postman hesitated before bringing it up “from your father”. Mogens stopped moving his fingers, but didn’t remove his hands from the postman's cheeks.

After an excruciating silence, Jesper added “my own father, he…”, but he was at a loss for words to explain everything. Instead, he stopped talking and just got lost in Mogens’ eyes. It was still so exhilarating to see his lover again. The ferryman started caressing his red cheeks again, but with a distressed expression “how are you here right now? Are you ok?!”, and Jesper just nodded, before saying “everything’s alright now. I made sure of that. And everyone with stay away from us”. Mogens whispered, getting worried “what did you do, Jes?”.

The sun had already gone down and they didn’t even notice it. The cold night weather was creeping up on them and the postman breathed profoundly “it’s a long story”.

Suddenly, Mogens bit his lips and nodded in a negative way before swiftly grabbing Jesper by the collar of his coat “I could punch you right now if I didn’t love you so damn much!”. The postman's heart started beating faster and he said with the most genuine tone possible, really committed to his words “you can punch me, if it makes you feel any better. I deserve it. I hurt you, and your family was brought back from the past because of me, and I-“, but Mogens cut him off, moving a hand down the postman's heart “shh, calm down. Tell me what happened”.

Jesper soon began to shiver with the cold and the ferryman suggested for them to go inside the boathouse, although he didn’t move, since he was still looking at every single aspect of the postman’s face. He eventually spoke, almost in a whisper “you’re really back”, and his lips started to curl up. Jesper felt his whole body getting warm at the sight of that. He made it clear “and I won’t leave you, ever again”, before wrapping his arms around the ferryman’s neck. Mogens fully relaxed, at last, as he held Jesper tight. The blond man was back in his life and he was smelling like roses, once again.

In the boathouse, they sat side by side at the small dining table and the postman finally explained everything. He didn’t want to leave anything important out, so he talked for a good while and Mogens just listened, carefully, without much interruptions. “He wouldn’t dare to do anything reckless now”, Jesper guaranteed, as they discussed Mr. Johanssen. The ferryman seemed calmer as he held his lover's hand.

The blond man went on “my dad is probably gonna praise me so much to the board and say he came to the conclusion I was indispensable back here or something. He will find a way to make himself look good first, I’m sure of it. So, I believe we’re… Ok”, and he frowned, noticing that Mogens was nodding, but with a distant expression on his face. Before Jesper could say anything, the ferryman questioned “how is my mother? And... My father?”.

At that moment, the postman realized he did leave some things out of the story. He didn’t really specify much about his parents, besides going to Kelden to give them the check. Jesper said, after some thought “they just… They don’t deserve you, Mogens”, which made the ferryman look down at their hands “are they still calling me a witch?”. The postman didn’t know what to say, so he just pressed his hand tighter and stared at him, with sad eyes. Once Mogens faced him again, he just knew. The ferryman lamented “I’m sorry you had to meet with them. I’m glad you weren’t alone for that”.

Jesper thought about his impulsive moment with the gun, but that was a story for another time. They could talk more about each other’s past eventually, but at that instant, the postman was eager to discuss the present and where they were standing, regarding their love, especially. Therefore, Jesper expressed very honestly “Mogens… I would do the same things all over again if that meant spending at least another minute with you. I missed you so bad”.

After a gulp, the ferryman began puling the postman's sleeve up a bit before getting on removing one of his gloves. He left the cut hand for last. Jesper was feeling tense through it all, but he let the man do it. Mogens was really gentle in the process, even more so with the cut hand and, once the gloves were off, he looked at the scar attentively before touching it. It was an electrifying feeling, even just that soft connection they were having: the ferryman's thumb going up and down his scar, as he held his hand with great care underneath. Jesper closed his eyes while taking a deep breath.

Then, he was letting go of the air very slowly when Mogens spoke “I’m so very so-“, but Jesper took his other hand to the ferryman’s face, pressing his thumb over his lover's lips as he moved closer, sitting on the edge of his seat. The postman said close to his face “enough of apologies for the things we couldn’t control”. Then, he slid down his thumb and gazed at Mogens' lips, half open, waiting to meet his. And they kissed intensely.

At that moment, it really felt like everything would be ok and that they were exactly where they supposed to be. Mogens then kissed his cheek and gave him a solid good hug, squeezing it so tight that the blond man was a bit dizzy when they went apart. The ferryman chuckled before getting up and extending his hand to Jesper “so, that means you’re poor now?”. After a cough, the postman looked up and took his hand. He was pulled up fast and Mogens caught him in his arms as he answered “I don’t give a crap about having lots of money. I can live just fine with my postman's salary”.

Mogens' smile was fading away as he ran a hand through Jesper’s hair. He then pleaded, in a lower tone “please, don’t break my heart again. I can’t take… Another hit like this”. Jesper assured, pressing his hands on Mogens' chest “I wouldn’t dare to”. Then, they kissed again, more tenderly this time.

Although they had a few candles lit around, it was still quite dark, as well as cold, inside of the boathouse. Mogens went to light up the fire and they had some food as they chatted about more uplifting topics. They talked about Tereza and their children and the ferryman was very surprised to know that she knew both of them as kids, but pleased to hear it, nonetheless. He lamented Jesper didn’t got to meet her husband, though, who apparently was the coolest man in town; always giving out candy to children and telling jokes. Although, he didn’t offered Mogens support when the whole town was on the witch hunt. The ferryman quickly made it clear that he never blamed the man, since he was right about being protective, after all. Offering shelter to a “witch” would only doom his family and their business.

Next, they commented about Alva and the fact that she would only return in a few more weeks. Jesper was a bit sad about that; he was really looking forward to seeing her again. Beyond that, Jesper got to hear all about the "new" postman and his annoyances. He told Mogens that Nikolas always despised him, ever since their Academy days. That red-haired man would gloat over Jesper whenever he got the chance, even though the postman was failing on his exams on purpose.

“I gotta say…”, Jesper started telling, “I haven’t got in that many fights in my life, but I punched that guy in the teeth one time. He really loves talking shit about people he knows nothing about”. Mogens was quite impressed by that “damn, Jes. I thought you'd send your butler to beat people up. I’m proud of you”, and he grinned. The postman rolled his eyes “ha, ha. Ok, you can mock all you want. Just be happy we never came to actually hate each other to a fighting point”.

The ferryman smiled as he recalled Jesper’s first weeks in Smeerensburg “if I remember correctly, you did throw a shoe at me one day”, and the postman was quick to interrupt, pointing his fork up to the man “that was hardly ‘ _fighting_ ’! You just had pissed me off for... Something I can't even remember right now. And you didn’t exactly fight back”. “That’s because I didn’t wanna hurt ya”, Mogens let him know.

Thinking back about the fight with Nikolas, Jesper confessed “I admit I’m not too great of a fighter, but I did knock one tooth out, alright”. They were both laughing, discussing the details of that day. Apparently, Nikolas was actually “talking shit” about one of Jesper’s friends and not him, per say. The fact that he defended someone else made Mogens' heart skip a bit. Jesper really played the selfish type so well for the people he didn’t know, but he could be the most endearing man once he developed trust and care with the ones who offered him the same.

The ferryman was a little curious, beyond intrigued, so he asked "where's this friend now? Did you get to meet with him in the city?", so Jesper explained "ah, no... He got married a while ago and got the job at a post office so far away from the city. But he thanked me for what I did. My hand hurt like hell for the next few days, though", and he laughed as he kept talking about it.

Mogens was lost in thoughts looking at Jesper that he didn't pay much attention to a word the blond man was saying after a while, until he heard “… Not even _close_ to Klaus' punch! There was even blood coming out of his nose”. Mogens blinked a couple of times “wait, wait! Whose nose?!”, and the postman huffed “my father's! I guess I didn’t tell you this part properly...”.

They talked some more about Klaus as they finished their dinner. Eventually, they discussed the bearded man's relationship with the Sámi woman, as well. Both of them were genuinely happy that he found love again. Klaus truly deserved the most happiness he could get in his life.

They were doing the dishes together when Mogens joked about inviting themselves to the Sámi party, but Jesper convinced him that it was a terrible idea “it would be like monitoring him! He would hate us forever”, but Mogens shot back “I just wanted to see him dance. That’s something I’m yet to see… I heard the Sámi people have a bunch of fun traditional dances”. The postman laughed and accused “or maybe _you_ wanna dance, huh? With me?”, yet the ferryman didn’t hide it “that would be a good bonus, yeah. Why not?”, and he moved his hips to show a little of his dance moves.

Jesper laughed a bunch and splashed some water on him. As Mogens wiped his face, the postman reflected about how much he missed their talks, especially the ferryman’s straight forward way of being, and he simply smiled with utmost joy.

\--

It was already late at night, but both of them were still awake. Jesper was drawing on the bed, with his knees up to support the papers, whilst Mogens was reading a book on a chair close to the fire. Getting the taste for drawings again, the postman couldn’t help but try sketching his lover now. The man looked so wonderful on that fire light, especially as he tried really hard to concentrate on his book, failing miserably as he looked over Jesper’s way each minute.

Every time their eyes met, they smiled at each other. Jesper was the one doing the most staring, since he was actually drawing the ferryman, so eventually, Mogens enquired "what is it, you like what you see?". The postman wasn't so confident about his drawing skills, or any skills he had, in fact, so he played it cool "I like this view, yeah". Mogens went back to his book, but after reading two more sentences, he tested "Jes, are ya writing me a love letter or something?", and Jesper chuckled "sure", while drawing Mogens’ beautiful hand and arm supporting his chin.

The ferryman finally turned a page of his book and they focused on what they were doing, more precisely. The looks kept happening from time to time, and Jesper only felt warmer inside. 

Mogens was really hooked on his book a while later, but after an hour or so, he sighed loudly "ah, that's it. I'm tired", and he stretched his arms up his head. He looked at the side to see that Jesper had already fallen asleep. Mogens refrained from making any more noises, hence he placed his book lightly over the chair as he got up to check the postman up-close. The blond man looked extremely soft and peaceful, which made the ferryman’s lips curl up. Mogens carefully pulled back a lock of hair that had fallen onto Jesper’s face. Then, he took the pencil from his hand and put it aside, before getting to the papers sprawled all over his chest.

As soon as he turned them up to see what he was working on, his mouth went wide in a excited smile. " _Wow!_ ", he vocalized out loud, and Jesper blinked his eyes open. Right away, Mogens apologized in a whisper "my bad. Go back to sleep". The postman had a frown on his forehead and, as he saw his sketches in Mogens’ hands, he concealed his face "I swear you're better looking than how I drew you". With a smile still on his face, Mogens sat at the floor next to the bed and examined the main drawing once more "are you kidding me?! This is so good! You even made the shadows from the fire on my face. How the hell-", and he moved his hand through the paper, looking attentively all over. Jesper lay on his stomach and turned his head to the side to face the man on the floor.

Grinning, he asked "you think so?". They were now at eye-level and Mogens gazed him for a good minute. Then, he spoke, getting closer "you're really talented, Jes", he stroked his blond hair, "you're full of surprises". Jesper narrowed his eyes and frowned "I could say the same about you". Mogens giggled a bit before giving him a soft kiss on the lips. The postman held him by the nape of his neck and they kept kissing for a little while longer. Getting the taste of the ferryman's lips back in his life was giving Jesper such warmth that it felt like hot summer weather.

When they went apart, Jesper sighed and commented, looking down at the pages on his lover's lap “I missed drawing”. “Why did you stop?”, Mogens asked, turning to the papers again and leaning back at the nightstand. Staring blankly at nowhere in particular, Jesper affirmed “I don’t know. I stopped doing a lot of things when I got here”. Glancing back at the ferryman, he completed “now I’m rediscovering myself”.

\--

Jesper had a great sleep that night, without a care in the world. The rocking of the boat never bothered him before, but now it worked as some sort of comfort for him. He knew he was safe there and that he was exactly where he wanted to be.

It heavy rained that night and the blond man woke with a loud stroke of thunder. His mind went straight to where Klaus could be, but he settled himself after remembering the bearded man said they would probably see each other again only in the morning, so he was definitely staying at the Viksengo Inn.

Jesper looked over to his side and saw Mogens in a deep sleep, snoring.

It was so cold at that moment and, beyond that, there was a noise coming from the kitchen area. Jesper wasn't going to be able to fall sleep again if he didn't go to investigate, so he got up, wrapped himself in a blanket and walked towards the sound.

The window had flung open with the wind and there was water falling inside. Quickly, he grabbed the handle and shut the window close. The rain was freezing on his skin and he shivered hard. He hated winter so much he didn't think he would ever live in a place like that, but the heart wants what it wants and he was okay with that.

Getting back to the bed area, he noticed his drawings had slid down from the nightstand, where Mogens originally put them. Jesper tried to be really quiet as he took them from the ground and opened the drawer to store it there.

As he did that, he saw something familiar inside. It was his wooden carvings, not only the mermaid he gave the ferryman as a Christmas gift, but also the bird he had left at the post office. He had completely forgotten about that one, even though his head still hurt from time to time whenever he felt stressed.

He took the object in hand to examine it. It was really far from how he wanted it to be originally and there was still blood on the cracks, which made Jesper recall about that awful Christmas day even more vividly.

The postman decided he wanted to make something new out of it and since he wasn't that tired anymore, he went to his bag, took his carving knifes, sat down at a table and worked on it for a while. The wind kept whistling and he felt at ease with the noise. The boat was rocking more and more as the storm became heavier. He looked over the window that offered a view to the Viksengo docks and there was not a soul to be seen on the streets, but the tavern close by was all lighten up and people seemed to be dancing inside, not caring a single bit about the weather. The folks from that region really knew how to enjoy themselves, even on situations like that. He wondered if Klaus was there too instead of the Inn. The bearded man deserved the fun and the good company, nonetheless.

Getting back to his wooden bird, the changes started to become visible as he went through with them. In the end, it was like a whole other carving, completely different and, in his opinion, way better than before.

Jesper was cleaning the mess from the table when he noticed Mogens' thin journal there. He touched it, but didn't open it, as he knew the only songs remaining there was most likely about Mikkel.

What a bittersweet feeling it was to recall about the day Mogens sang him a song. The thought of the man ripping his related songs from his journal really hurt the postman deep down his heart, but he knew it was his own fault for that to happen, in the first place.

When he finished tidying everything up and admiring his work a bit more, Jesper started feeling a little tired, so he went to try and get some more sleep. He placed his new carving on the nightstand and lay down next to Mogens, that came to hug him immediately, even though it didn't seem like the man had woken up.

The next morning, Jesper woke up with a lot of talking outside of the boat. That town was sure noisy. The docks were really close to the street and the people woke up early, even after partying all night, somehow. The Smeerensburg docks was definitely a lot quieter and more peaceful, although, even colder than Viksengo.

The postman looked to the side to see Mogens stretching his arms. The ferryman promptly said "good morning, sunshine! Did you sleep well?". Jesper lifted himself on his elbow and looked down at him "not too bad. Could've been worse". He smiled as Mogens pulled him close to give him a nice squeeze, before messing with his hair.

While doing so, the ferryman glimpsed over the nightstand and questioned in great surprise "what's that?!", he moved to get the carving that stood there and went on with raised eyebrows "an owl?". Jesper felt very proud of himself "does it honestly looks like one? Yeah, that's what I was going for". Mogens examined the object some more, "wait... Was this the _bird_ one?!", and the postman just nodded. Mogens fell back down on his pillows, still looking at the new improved bird "ah, I actually liked that one".

Jesper rolled his eyes as he lay his head on the ferryman's stomach "c'mon, there was even blood on it, still. Why did you even take it for? Nikolas didn't want it?". Mogens assured, moving the owl out of the way so he could look at the postman "oh, he wanted it, alright! But I took it, and it’s mine now, even if you changed it". He then held the carving tight to his chest. The blond man wasn't sure about what he intended to do with it anyway, therefore, he just said "that's fine, I guess. You can keep it. It's all yours, my love", and he reached to caressed the man's arm.

After some pondering, he looked over the table "will you write me more songs in return?", which made Mogens take a deep breath and move to a sitting position. Jesper rested his head on his lap now, so the ferryman apologized, while facing down at his lover "I'm sorry about that. I was angry". Jesper stared back at him and assured, in a really calm and sweet tone "don’t worry about it. We can always create new memories. You and me. Together".

Mogens remained serious, but as he thought deeper into it, he slowly started to smile. Then, Jesper moved up and they kissed very passionately. They both really missed the feeling of each other's tongues and it was a real blast, every single time their lips met.

After a while, the postman asked, still with his arms around Mogens' neck "what time does the ferry leave?", so the ferryman looked over his shoulder to the clock "in about 5 minutes". With a sigh, Jesper sprawl himself at the pillows again and ran a hand through his hair as Mogens got up.

The man went around the bed and put the wooden owl on the drawer where it was before, next to his mermaid, while the postman was looking up distracted, scratching the scar on his forehead.

Jesper was suddenly startled by the ferryman lowering himself on top of him really fast to kiss his neck multiple times, and then, his lips too. He wrapped his arms tight to Mogens' neck, so the man laughed while trying to pull back.

He took Jesper’s wrists in his hands "I need to get dressed. There's people waiting outside for the ferry ride". The postman was quick to complain as he let go, reluctantly "why did you do that for, then?!". Mogens walked around the room to grab his pants and he gloated, while putting them on "I love teasing ya, sweetcheeks. Don't you know it already?".

\--

The boat was almost in Smeerensburg already by the time Jesper went up the deck. There were a few familiar faces there, but the most familiar of all was obviously Klaus.

"Look who decided to join us", the bearded man joked, as he patted Jesper on the back when he got closer. Lifting his eyebrows and hugging himself, the postman grimaced "it's _freezing_ up here. I should've stayed inside". Mogens was handling the steering wheel in his cabin, but he joined the conversation "you'll have to get used to the cold eventually, Your Highness".

Jesper seemed a little annoyed as he walked the ferryman’s way. He punched Mogens lightly on the arm and questioned "what's up with all these nicknames again, all of the sudden?". Mogens stole a kiss on his lips in a brisk movement, not even caring about who was there to see it "I just missed calling you like that, that's all. What's the matter, sweetheart? Don't pretend you don't like it". Jesper’s annoyance was uncovered by a shy curl on his lips, even though he was trying really hard to fight it.

Mogens grinned, tilting his head at him "ah, you see? You _love_ all of your nicknames, Jes".

"I like that one best", he said it low, while crossing his arms and looking down at his boots.

"Which one, ' _Jes_ '?", the man frowned, glimpsing between the postman and the sea. Jesper hummed in agreement and, after a moment of silence, he went ahead and held onto Mogens' waist "that's what my mother used to call me. I like it. It's nice to hear it again".

The ferryman made the softest expression the postman had ever seen on his face, which made his heart beat a little faster. It was clear that Mogens was really happy with himself for that one.

Right away, the ferryman wrapped one arm around Jesper, still guiding the boat with the other, and he kissed him on the temple.

Jesper smiled while he rested his head on the man's shoulder and they just watched the waves at the sea and the birds in the sky.

"Alright then, Jes. That's also my favorite", Mogens eventually assured, as the Smeerensburg island started to appear behind the fog.


	33. In the Heat of Your Love

Before they left the boat, Mogens walked over to Jesper, wrapped his arm around him and said, although facing Klaus “so, Jesper told me he wants to join the Sámi party. Ya know, he missed us so damn much and, hum… He wants to celebrate! Do you think you could hook us up?”. Jesper was clearly shocked while the ferryman was having a good laugh about his reaction, and Klaus just sighed as the postman countered “excuse me! _You_ are the one who wants to go. Don’t put this on me now”. Mogens gave a few nice taps on the postman’s chest, drawing him closer and discussing about it with a gentle voice “aight, aight. But it could be fun, don’t you think? What do you say, Jes?”.

While Jesper thought deeper into it, Mogens turned to the bearded man and, with a hand in the air, he asked “Klaus? C’mon, can we join ya or not?”. Despite all odds, Klaus laughed joyfully “ho, ho, ho! I do believe we all deserve some good fun between good people, now more than ever. Of course you two can join me! I will ask…”, he cleared his throat, _“Siljá”_. Jesper and Mogens were exchanging obvious delighted looks. It was the first time the postman was hearing the actual name of the Sámi woman from Klaus' holiday parties, which made him realize that things were more serious than ever between them now. He really missed so much regarding his friends while being away...

Pretty soon, Klaus noticed their delight about it, so he added “yes… My _girlfriend_ , Siljá. So, behave you two. And remember to bring something with you, a dish or… A drink, at least”. The bearded man seemed a little preoccupied. Without even commenting on anything, Mogens stepped out of the boat to tie the rope, noticing that the other passengers started to get impatient with the wait. He was truly the best man for that job. Despite the fact that he got a few complaints from the townspeople before, it was always regarding his "witchcraft", therefore, unrelated to his job as the Smeerensburg ferryman. So, he was there to stay, until someone actually had a proper complain to make.

Meanwhile, Jesper was left to wonder alone about what Klaus had said. What did he meant by _“behave”,_ exactly? Did he thought Mogens and him would have an exceptionally ugly fight and stab one another in the middle of the party or, maybe he was thinking that they would leave everyone hanging to go suck each other’s dicks in the woods? Jesper realized that, whatever it was, Klaus was still being protective over Mogens, even after everything that happened in the past few days. Although, he wasn’t annoyed or upset by it, just curious.

In a laid-back manner, the postman dawdled on the comment about behaving, assuring him multiple times that he had nothing to worry about, in any way he was thinking of “I know how much this party means to you, Klaus. We will make a good impression there; I promise you. Do you really think I wanna make a fool of myself in front of a whole new village? How would I face them _for the rest of my life_ , especially at Christmas parties?! You must be crazy”, and he huffed while giving a negative nod. Next, his voice became warmer “we will take care of each other, as it should be. It will all be alright”.

The bearded man still didn’t look too relieved like Jesper was expecting it. Klaus had something important to clarify “I trust you both together. What I've been meaning to say is more specifically about _Mogens_...”.

The postman gazed at his lover as the man stepped back into the boat and, with that, he couldn’t pay attention to what Klaus was trying to say anymore. He was instantly charmed by Mogens' grin on his face, so very soft at that instant. There was something new about it, somehow. The ferryman was trying to fight off that intriguing softness from his face, but he only ended up looking even more... Hopelessly in love with Jesper. Was it something the postman did or said that made him react like that? Jesper really couldn't put a finger on what it was. Either way, Mogens just looked very _cute_ and adorable. Klaus kept talking, but Jesper was still silent glaring at his lover’s bashful eyes, frowning lightly and curling his lips up a bit, truly intrigued.

After a good moment of this, which made everyone wait for the postman to regain his attention, he spoke while blinking frenetically “oh, hum, I have just the recipe for a great hot cocoa, perfect for winter! I never tried it myself, but I was told it’s the best”. Jesper glanced over Mogens again and the man seemed to have a subtle redness over his cheeks now. Did he really made him blush like that too?!

The ferryman smirked awkwardly, squeezed the postman and added after him, like nothing weird was happening “well, I’ll make sure to bring the booze, then!”. Klaus had a disapproving look on Mogens and Jesper picked it up right away on what the bearded man was so worry about.

Before he could say anything, Klaus was already explaining it again, since he was ignored the first time “don’t you think you should tone it down a bit with the drinking, Mogens? I say this to your own good”.

As soon as the ferryman heard those words, he became very apprehensive. Mogens went to coil a rope nearby and he complained, motioning an arm in the air, briefly “it’s a party! Sorry to tell ya buddy, but drinking is a part of it”.

They were in such a good mood before this was brought up, but Jesper knew that the drinking had become a delicate situation, not only from what Klaus had told him, but from the state of Mogens' boat itself. The postman thought about saying something regarding the multiple empty bottles scattered all over that he had seen on the previous night, but he didn’t want to fight with the man on his first day back, on the contrary, he was in a position to make amends then. Although Jesper was glad that Klaus was the one to touch on that subject, he was still there as an important part of Mogens' life now, and he should probably contribute with something. He was feeling tenser by the second with the silence that lingered, though.

Not thinking too much into it, he put his hands in his coat pockets, stepped out of the boat and took out his lighter and a pack of cigarettes. He lit one up after covering the cold wind with a hand as best as he could and finally took an eager drag to relax a bit.

Klaus and Mogens were having a stressful discussion on the matter while Jesper just stood there, smoking and thinking on what he could do. He didn’t want to upset Mogens or screw everything up with him now!

The ferryman seemed genuinely mad as he crossed his arms, unsatisfied about what he was listening from the bearded man “you need more self-control on your actions, Mogens. You never even tried to stop drinking”.

At once, Mogens made his remarks, while pointing Jesper’s way “you literally _punched_ his dad in the face. Now you talk to me about self-control…”, like he had never threaten Mr. Johanssen himself with a freaking knife.

Instead of focusing on Klaus again, Mogens kept staring fixedly at Jesper, without paying any attention to what Klaus was saying in response. He was far from soft now.

With a surprised and unhappy expression, Mogens dropped the rope he was holding, stepped out of the boat again and motioned a hand towards the postman “what’s _this_ now? You’re back with the smoking?”.

After another drag, quicker this time, Jesper tried to defend himself, but he stuttered hard “I’m-, it’s just-. Look…“. “You know how I feel about that awful smell”, the ferryman said firmly, followed by an involuntary and hasty scratch on his chest, right where his scar was. Klaus was just watching them quietly, knowing really well that Mogens’ father used to smoke a lot every single day, even during dinner time.

Jesper breathed deeply, tossed his unfinished cigarette on the ground and put it out with his boot. Then, he walked closer to Mogens, got a hold of his shoulders and assured, after licking his lips swiftly “yeah, I know... I’m sorry. How about we make a deal then, huh?”, and he nodded, raising his eyebrows. The ferryman was quiet and Jesper glimpsed at Klaus for a second before saying back to his lover “you quit drinking and I quick smoking!”, tossing his arms up and giving a closed smile, like he just had the best idea ever.

The ferryman crossed his arms and mocked “but you already had quit smoking, Jesper. That’s different”. He noticed the bearded man was about to make a comment on it, therefore, he was fast to continue “I can’t just _quit drinking_ like that, out of the blue. I… I drink for as long as I can remember”.

Jesper sighed as he reflected upon things, but he eventually suggested it again, calmly “ok, just... Tone it down a bit then, like Klaus said. Can you do that?”, and with a defeated expression, Mogens scratched his neck and reluctantly agreed to it "alright". It wasn't clear if he was being genuine, but the postman found that it was good enough, at least for the time being.

They talked with Klaus and cleared the air a bit before the bearded man went on his way and then, Jesper and Mogens rode off to the post office.

At the carriage, the postman held his lover's hand and, even though Mogens was quiet, he was glad the man wasn't pushing him away after that whole discussion.

Caressing the ferryman's hand, Jesper said, with full honesty “I care about you deeply, honey”. Mogens frowned looking over, but couldn’t help to let out a small chuckle “ _honey?!_ Is that how you’re calling me now?”. “Yeah”, Jesper simply promised, before taking Mogens' hand to his lips to kiss it gently.

The smile that was now on the ferryman’s face made Jesper's heart feel truly warm, even more so when the man moved to sat even closer. Mogens assured, in a low tone “I’m good with that”.

The streets around them were somewhat empty and they soon realized there was a snow storm forming up. The wind was way stronger than it was just a few minutes ago so, picking up the pace, they soon arrived at the post office.

For some reason, the postman was feeling nervous about being back there, but it was a good kind of nervous, like he was getting ready for the next step in his life on that island. This time, he could focus on his job without having to worry about mail quotas or leaving any time soon and he was very happy with that thought.

Stepping inside the place, he looked around and everything was just where he left it. Although pleased that Nikolas didn't mess anything up, he didn’t mentally thank the red-haired man, since knowing him, there was definitely something missing that he just could not see it yet.

The postman dropped his bag on the floor and, after tossing the keys on the table, he turned back and caught Mogens grinning at him, leaning back on the door. Jesper smiled and joked "home, sweet home". The ferryman came close and held his waist "not as sweet as you", and gave him a soft kiss on the lips.

Jesper tried to return the gesture, but the man was moving away a bit. Mogens promptly assured “wait, I take that back. You taste awful. You need to do something 'bout that cigarette breath of yours if you want more of me, sweetcheeks”. Jesper rolled his eyes and expressed “as you wish”, pushing him out of the way to take a toothbrush and a toothpaste, as well as a canteen with water out of his bag. Next, he went to the window to brush his teeth.

It was ironic, in a way. That man was a heavy drinker, but couldn’t _stand_ even the slightest taste of cigarettes in someone’s lips, not even his. But then, Jesper recalled the burn marks on Mr. Brooks’ arms. He was certain Mogens hasn’t suffered the same to be so aversive to cigarettes though, and not at all with booze; the postman had seen him fully naked before, after all. Or maybe, the ferryman saw his father burning _somebody else_ , like his brother, or more likely… His mother.

Jesper spat the water outside and was closing the window when Mogens walked over and held him from behind, interrupting his line of thought. "You will be here _for the rest of your life_ , eh?", the man delicately said, and Jesper felt the air from the chuckle he gave next tickling his ear. The postman had the biggest smile on his face once he finally understood it all, realizing that _that_ was the reason Mogens was blushing so hard before at the docks. He heard what he said to Klaus.

Turning around, Jesper assured, really close to his face “unless you wanna move somewhere else. But yeah, I like living here”.

They kept staring deep into each other’s eyes and Mogens tucked a lock of hair behind Jesper’s ear. He took his tongue out to moisture his lips and the blond man’s breath hitched. Before he knew it, Jesper thrust his tongue between Mogens’ lips fervently and, after enjoying that feeling for a while, he asked “how’s that now?”. “Minty”, Mogens grinned and leaned forward for more.

They kept kissing while the ferryman’s hand travelled to Jesper's neck. In a swift movement, Mogens pulled his scarf off and gave a lick to his neck, before lingering in a good spot to kiss it eagerly, making the postman tremble. Jesper let out a slight moan breathing out, before getting a grip onto Mogens' coat. He took his lover's lips again while sliding the coat off his body.

Then, the ferryman held Jesper by his undershirt as he walked backwards. Mogens whispered "let's go upstairs", and Jesper just took his hand, letting himself be guided to his room.

It was extremely cold up there and, looking around, Mogens noticed the window wide open, as well as snow getting inside. "Goddammit, that bastard", he cursed, like it was his own house. The postman wasn’t surprised that Nikolas screw something up in the post office, on the contrary, it would be surprising if that man _hadn’t_ done anything stupid. However, he felt a sudden shock over his whole being, but regarding something else. Jesper _should_ care about all that snow in his room, but in reality... He couldn't care less. He was there with Mogens, of all people, in the Smeerensburg's post office, exactly how he wanted.

“The curtains are missing… And the alarm clock I left on the nightstand”, Jesper pointed out, with the most carefree expression ever. The ferryman was annoyed by it though, and he went to close the window quickly, still cursing Nikolas in whispers. Meanwhile, Jesper took off his coat and boots.

After Mogens managed to close the window, he turned back to see Jesper taking off his shirt and walking towards him. The postman swiped a hand through his hair and stared carefully at Mogens' eyes. They looked on edge, but as soon as Jesper gave a soft half smile, the man seemed to relax a bit.

Jesper undid his pants' belt, still walking closer, until he finally reached the ferryman. In a slow movement, he pulled the man's shirt up and, once he tossed it on the floor like he did with his, Mogens went ahead and touched the blond man's shoulders, going up to his neck and then, cheeks. They locked lips in a rush. The ferryman wanted to feel everything and he was glad he was sober for it.

His hands went down Jesper's smooth chest and nipples, which were visibly hard. Mogens felt an urge to lick and kiss them, so he did just that. The postman let out a sharp but soft moan as he held onto Mogens’ hair, before pulling him up again to meet his mouth once more. He caressed the man’s lips with his tongue and then, he bit the lower half. And they kissed intensely.

Jesper began to undo Mogens’ belt and unzip his pants, but the ferryman noticed that the blond hairs on Jesper's arms were all up from goose bumps. Besides that, he was shivering a little.

"Are you cold?", Mogens asked, even though he already knew the answer. That room was in the same temperature as it was outside. Jesper nodded and requested after "so warm me up".

Mogens touched the postman's arms and his rib cage next; not a single remnant of that hellish Christmas day there, unlike his forehead. He traced a hand to the center of his stomach and then lowered down, passing through his belly button and blond hairs on his happy trail. His hand was also so cold, making Jesper shiver some more.

Mogens unzipped and pulled Jesper's pants down, as his heart beat faster at each second. He held his waist, guiding him to fall on the bed. The postman laughed briefly, but he automatically bit his lips and flexed his stomach as Mogens hand lingered through the bulge in his underwear, which was pretty evident now.

After that, Mogens pulled down the fabric to reveal his aroused penis, already dripping precum. "You're a little too excited, eh?", Mogens teased with a grin and Jesper huffed, as he moved his legs to help the man pull his clothes off completely. "Shut up", he said, with an intense look at the man above him.

Jesper tried to hit Mogens with his foot, but the man caught his leg just before it could reach his face. The ferryman looked at it and then pecked at the side "you have really nice feet, love", so Jesper gave a coy smile and frowned "ok...?".

Mogens moved his foot to rest it over his chest, caressing it with great care "you have no idea how to take compliments, do ya?". The postman was staring back at him as he gulped, feeling a bit anxious "well... You-, you have an _outstanding cock!_ What do you say to that, huh?". Jesper lowered his leg until he reached Mogens' pronounced tenting in the pants with his foot. The ferryman shot back, grinning at his lover "I know, right? I'm really proud of it, actually". Jesper rolled his eyes, but with a noticeable curl on the lips. Then, he slicked his hair back before moving to a sitting position.

Reaching for Mogens’ pants, he pulled them down, as well as his underwear. He whispered without noticing, facing the erect member _“really outstanding”_. Mogens' dick was inches away from his face. Instead of touching it, with his hand or with his mouth, the postman just looked up and narrowed his eyes, holding his posture.

Then, he licked the whole extend of his lips in a slow manner. Mogens couldn't disguised the twitch his cock gave at the sight of that and he muttered, impatiently "what-, are you waiting for an invitation?", which made Jesper laugh for a second. With that, Mogens felt the air that left the blond man's mouth intensifying his erection a bit more.

Promptly, Jesper took a hand to Mogens' thigh and the other to his dick. He gripped tight, but stroked slow. Mogens had his lips partnered and was gazing down at his lover sitting there, under him.

Soon enough, the postman broke eye contact as he took it in his mouth. "Oh... Yeah", was all the ferryman managed to say, while raising his head high and closing his eyes, followed by a deep breath. He moved his hips forward abruptly at times and Jesper adjusted himself to it, though he really enjoyed the sensation of it.

Jesper gripped Mogens’ ass hard, and even though his nails were short, he left some scratch marks on the man. As he pulled back to catch a breath, he still caressed the ferryman’s cock with his hand, doing circular movements that drove him mad.

Suddenly, Mogens was surprised with a finger up his ass "hey. Whatcha doing?", and he opened his eyes wide, staring down at Jesper. The postman took his finger off a bit, gave a lingering kiss at the side of his outstanding cock and requested, without thinking much on how he should say this _"let me fuck you"_.

"What?!", Mogens' heart was almost jumping out of his body in shock and Jesper just added _"please"_ , before taking all the length of Mogens massive erection on his mouth again and pulling back slow, still moving his tongue nicely through it. The ferryman stuttered between his sharp moans " _ah!_ -, I-, hum-, I never done that before".

Jesper got up suddenly and Mogens' dick passed through his chest until it met with his own hard member. "Only if you want me to", Jesper assured, with the most pleasant and soft voice he could make, although very serious on what he was saying.

The ferryman was giving deep thoughts into it and they started rubbing their dicks together, meanwhile. Mogens held onto Jesper's hips and went to kiss behind his ear. He whispered _"I want you to"_ , and he bit his ear before moving down to kiss his neck. Jesper wrapped his arms around him and enjoyed the pleasurable sensation.

Then, he leaned back and touched Mogens' chest "sure?", and the ferryman just nodded, letting out an in-breath "yeah".

Jesper was moving away from him, so Mogens held his wrist back "wait! I don't have any-". "Oil?", Jesper completed, "I got it on my bag", and he walked off, going down the stairs.

The ferryman watched as he simply left the room full on naked and hard. He took that time to remove the boots still on his feet, as well as his pants and underwear from his ankles. His throat felt dry and he put his hands over his face and neck at the thought of being fucked by Jesper. He never had put much thought into it, since it wasn't really his thing, but contemplating about it now... It just felt right for him. He genuinely wanted to know how it would be like and he smiled at himself.

Jesper came back in a flash and tossed him a small bottle. Mogens grabbed it easily and enquired in surprise "am I supposed to do it?!". Jesper giggled at that as he came closer "up to you, of course. I just can't seem to open this freaking thing", and they both started laughing together.

Mogens teased him "well, looks like your _vacation_ days soften up your hands too much, dear". "Oh, you think my hands are soft?", the postman shot back, right before grabbing Mogens' dick again, but with a loose grip this time. The ferryman had just finished opening the bottle and he coated his fingers with the content inside. He replied "very soft", before giving Jesper a slow kiss on the lips. At the same time, he put one finger up his ass. Mogens breathe deeply as they touched foreheads "ah, this feels weird". Jesper took the bottle "let me do it?", and Mogens just shrugged, so Jesper coated his fingers with the oil.

The ferryman walked towards the window and just watched the howling wind shaking all the trees outside and the heavy snow falling down. Jesper shouted, cracking his voice "what are you doing?!", and he peaked in the corner of the window to see if anyone was out there. They didn't have any curtains, after all.

"No one's out there in this terrible weather, sweetheart! Relax". Jesper’s cheeks were blushed a little by the time he acknowledged "you really like living on the edge, huh?". Mogens turned back to face him "what other way is there to live?", before looking out the window again.

Jesper went behind Mogens slowly and hugged him with one arm. He grabbed onto his necklace and the man locked his fingers on top of Jesper's. The postman inserted a finger inside and before he added a second one, he rested his head on Mogens' shoulder. Then, he started giving him some nice and gentle kisses on the shoulders and at the back of his neck. The ferryman closed his eyes and kept his lips half open, while squeezing tight to Jesper's hand over his chest.

After a moment, the postman let go of his necklace, took the opportunity to slick his hair back and then, he grasped the man's chin, making Mogens turn to him a little. Their lips met for a brief moment, as he finished to loosen him up, twirling his fingers inside. Once he took all the fingers off, Mogens sighed at the change.

In a few seconds, he felt it. The ferryman’s palms went to the window and he heavy breathed, fogging up the glass. Jesper was thrusting inside of him, in a somewhat slow manner.

The blond man was taking quiet, but tremblings breaths next to Mogens’ ear and the ferryman didn’t resist the temptation to take his hand to his own cock. But, the more Jesper thrust it, the more he grimaced with the stinging and the new sensations. When he thought it was too much, it all suddenly settled.

They were just standing there for a moment, without moving, and Jesper checked for him "you alright?". Mogens just let out a quick response "yeah", and his face relaxed, at last. Soon enough, Jesper started moving again and it finally hit him. The actual feeling of it, surpassing any stinging. Although odd at first, it felt extremely good and satisfying when the postman would hit it just right.

After a few instants, Jesper stepped up his pace and groaned, while holding him by the waist. Mogens palm began to feel slippery on the glass with the sweat that was building up. He held back at Jesper’s thighs and watched the street outside again through the marks of his hands on the window. Their bodies were so close together that Mogens could feel Jesper's heart pounding on his back, besides his stutters and moans right on his ear.

Mogens started jerking off again and after a while, Jesper said, in between grunts “I’m about to-, I‘m so close”, and he tried to pull it out, but the ferryman took his hands back again to held onto the postman, assuring “Jes, just-, come inside of me”. Jesper’s crave for fulfillment was at its limit and he couldn’t hold back much longer, especially after hearing those words, so he embraced Mogens really tight and finally burst, releasing it all inside. The blond man was breathing heavily and it took a good minute to finally settle a bit.

Afterwards, Mogens turned back and stood in front of Jesper, gasping eagerly. Looking down, Jesper noticed he was just about to come too, but before he could look back at the man’s eyes, Mogens captured his lips roughly. Jesper hummed while his body still thrummed from just moments ago.

Their bared chests were really pressed together. Jesper reached down the ferryman’s cock and squeezed it with great desire, before moving his hand up and down very swiftly. Mogens moaned quite loudly over his lips and it didn’t take long for him to spread his own seeds all over them.

They took some time before falling on the bed with exquisite serenity. The sweat on Jesper’s body was starting to cool down and, feeling the cold trying to creep back, he pulled the covers on top of them while Mogens was saying “that was... So damn good, Jesper", letting out a chuckle at the end.

As they lay by each other’s side, finally fully relaxed after all the thrill, the postman turned his head and asked "did you enjoyed... All of it?". Mogens looked at him and assured, genuinely "yeah... At first, not so much, but I did after. A lot, in fact". Jesper smiled at that and frowned his eyebrows briefly.

His smile was turning into a full on grin as he huffed. The ferryman questioned "what is it?", and the postman moved closer, letting himself be wrapped by Mogens. "I love how you're so... Honest all the time", the blond man let out. Mogens was really pleased to hear that, since even though he was such a sarcastic person, he was still very conscious about the things he would say, especially during the times he hadn't confessed his love to Jesper yet.

"Yeah, just know that my heart still races a lot, depending on the topic", Mogens confessed, which made the postman very much surprised. "Really?", he said, before touching the other man's chest to check if that was one of those times. _It was_.


	34. The Sámi Party

The next couple of days went by so fast. Jesper settled himself back at the post office and took some time to go shopping for a few necessary items, like food and cleaning supplies, as well as an alarm clock and new curtains for his room.

At last, he was doing his usual routes around town once again and, surprisingly, there was a lot of mail to deliver and collect. Talking to the people, the postman learned that they chose to wait for his return instead of mailing with Nikolas, which made him feel all warm and joyful. Although he didn’t have to run away from people trying to kill him anymore, there was still some houses with dangerous and fuming dogs; they were all very used to chasing a great deal of postmen throughout the years, after all. So, Jesper was cautious about that, picking up his pace whenever it was needed, but he got tired of even just walking around all day sooner than he expected. Lying on his bed and doing nothing too useful for pretty much a whole month really had its disadvantages, yet he felt good about getting his blood flowing again, even on that freezing weather that made his nose, cheeks and ears tremendously red.

Jesper sat down at his table and was stamping some letters when he heard Mogens’ voice coming from the window “good afternoon, my fellow postman!”. The man gave a nod with his hat before taking it off and jumping inside with a bag full with mail from the mainland. Jesper pointed to the door and acknowledged in a very sarcastic tone “we do have a front door, honey. You know that, don’t you?”. Mogens smirked, pecked him briefly on the lips and went around the table to sit on the chair across.

Quickly, Jesper pulled his papers back, since he already knew that the ferryman was going to put his feet up, without a care in the world. As Mogens did just that, he also took an envelope from the bag he brought with him “there’s a letter for you, love”. Jesper felt really tense, up until he saw Alva’s name beautifully written in the envelope. He breathed out reaching for it and went ahead to cut it open with a knife.

The more he read, the bigger his smile became. “What she’s sayin’?”, the ferryman curiously asked, throwing a piece of chalk in Jesper's direction. The postman flinched and raised his hand to protect his face a little too late, still with his eyes on the letter. He was so used to Mogens’ teasing behaviors that it was hard to even be bothered by them anymore. As a matter of fact, he missed it, tremendously.

Sitting back comfortably on the chair, Jesper said, folding the paper “she’s getting back in two weeks! Everyone’s in good health, her brother got married and the family dog just had six puppies”. Then, he tenderly added, while putting the letter back on its envelope “she hopes we are doing alright and that I managed to find a _new job_ to my liking…”. Jesper thought about the fact that Alva didn’t even know that he wasn’t on the island for the last few weeks yet, as well as everything else that happened.

Noticing his pensive expression, Mogens asserted “well, you two have a lot of catching up to do when she gets here”, putting his feet down and reaching for a deck of cards in his pocket.

That afternoon, they played cards and enjoyed each other’s company for a good while. A few customers would come and go, but the ferryman was still there, making his jokes and remarks, but also, some nice coffee for them.

“How are you so good, all of the sudden?!”, Mogens frowned and complained, as he lost the cards game for the third time in a roll.

Picking up the cards to shuffled them, Jesper gloated “I was always good, honey. You’re the one who stopped cheating now”.

The ferryman wasn’t convinced, so he quickly grabbed the cards from Jesper’s hands to shuffle them himself “nah, nah... There’s something more. Did you play with anyone else, lately?”.

Trying to keep a straight face and failing hard at it, the postman confessed “Bernard showed me a couple of tricks, alright?”.

“Ah, I knew it!”, Mogens shot back, moving a hand in the air.

After a sip of his coffee, Jesper explained some more “but I never used to play with him before. It was just something he suggested to cheer me up, since I wasn’t doing much throughout the days…”. Glancing back at the postman, Mogens began to deal the cards again with a thoughtful and precise look in his eyes.

Jesper started fidgeting with a pen as he went on, with a little stutter on his breathing, like he was trying to change the subject on purpose “you never really bothered to teach me anything, huh? You just enjoyed having the upper hand all the time”.

The ferryman narrowed his eyes and, after a quick breath, he checked to see which cards he got and, with a smirk, he said “you already beats me in chess most of the time. I reckon I should keep at least the card tricks to myself”.

After just a roll of eyes in response to that, they resumed the game. Mogens won a few games here and there, but it was a lot harder now than when they first started playing together.

The ferryman was at the door about to leave, but he remembered he still had a job to do there. “Oh, is there outgoing mail today, Jes?”, he asked turning back, but Jesper was already behind him with a heavy bag in his arms. He let it go as the other man moved to take it, making him feel the weight unexpectedly “goddamn, you been working hard!”.

Jesper smiled, feeling proud of himself “what can I say? The townspeople love me”, and Mogens stepped towards him, saying “as do I”, before kissing his lips delicately.

Then, when the ferryman reached the last set of stairs on the porch, he enquired “so, we meet in the town square before the sun goes down?”. Jesper seemed confused, but his face softened as soon as he remembered _“the Sámi party!”_.

Mogens huffed, adjusting the bag in his arms “yeah, you forgot?”. Quickly, Jesper scratched his forehead while leaning against the doorframe “oh no, yeah, of course it’s today! I knew that. Yes, we can meet there”. Mogens raised his eyebrows and advised before leaving “don’t forget your fancy hot cocoa or Klaus will kick both of our asses”.

After his lover left, Jesper went out in a rush to get the ingredients for his drink. He really had completely forgotten about that party! He was only going because Mogens seemed so eager to have some fun… But it wasn’t like the postman didn’t like parties; he went to plenty of those before, only never to one where most of the people didn’t speak his language. He didn’t want to disappoint Klaus and the Sámi people, but besides that, he was also a little worried regarding Mogens’ drinking problem. He did make a promise to the bearded man that they would behave there and that was all he could think about now. He hoped the ferryman could enjoy the night out without heavy drinking and that the company and good talks would be enough for him.

Luckily, Jesper was able to find all of the ingredients. Just missing the honey, he went over the nice woman’s house who sold them to get some.

“Oh, laddie! You’re back. We really missed you over here”, she said with a smile as soon as she opened the door and saw the red nosed postman standing there.

Jesper gave a genuine smile himself after hearing those words, “so I heard”, but she quickly spoke over him “come in, come in”, motioning with an arm. Before she could drag him inside, Jesper explained “I can’t today, sadly. I’m in a bit of a hurry. I just need some honey. I’m making your hot cocoa recipe to take to a party later”.

The woman abruptly froze and her eyes lit up. Soon after, she gave one loud clap that made Jesper jump for a second “oh, heavens, postman! Are you really making my special family recipe?! That’s wonderful to hear. Let me know if they liked it later”. He assured “of course”, but she didn’t even hear it, since she was already getting back inside to get him a pot.

A few moments later, the woman came back and Jesper put the money on her hand as soon as he took the honey, giving her no time to refuse this time. They talked briefly about her daughter and he soon went on his way.

Everything was ready for the party, except for the clothes the postman was going to wear. He went up the stairs to investigate and recall what in the world he threw in his bag the day he hurriedly left his house in the big city.

There was a lot of socks he didn’t even remember putting in there, but also, a few nice winter clothes, like undershirts, scarves and pants. He still needed to buy more coats, though. His bag could only fit so much and his desperation to leave stopped him from getting a second one then.

He decided on a whole black look, which seemed to be the warmest clothes he had. The weather wasn’t as cold as the holiday season, for instance, but the postman was still getting used to extreme winter again.

Looking in the mirror, he sighed “agh! It looks like I’m going to a funeral”, and before he could think of something else to wear, he spotted a bright red scarf at the bottom of the bag. It was nice and warm, perfect to break that awfully dark look. He tried it on and looked in the mirror once more. “Good enough”, he said, and left to the Smeerensburg square to meet with Mogens.

Jesper was almost at the town square when he saw Mogens on the street. Quickly, he stopped the carriage and noticed that the man was talking with a woman he couldn’t see the face of. She was on her back and her hat was bigger than her head. The postman got down from the carriage and soon made his way to approach them. He heard that woman’s annoying voice and it finally became obvious on who it was.

Mrs. Krum turned around after Jesper cleared his throat and his stomach dropped at the sight of her resentful face.

Briskly, he started to feel the stress building up, but before he could talk, the woman greeted him in her usual manner “hello, Mr. Johanssen”. Then, she looked back at Mogens “so, that’s how it is, ferryman. Whatever floats your boat. Nobody needs any more problems. We already had enough of those”.

“We sure had”, Mogens confirmed with a straight face, crossing his arms.

“Well, then. Farewell, to both of you”, Mrs. Krum said with her chin up, before leaving them alone.

Jesper was still weirded out about that interaction as he stood next to his lover, watching her cross the street. “What was that about?”, he asked, although Mogens only hugged and kissed him on the cheek, before starting walking towards the carriage.

The ferryman explained “you see, I was just telling her we can all live in peace here in Smeerensburg… Unless she’s up for a little curse or two”. Jesper stopped walking, grabbed Mogens’ face in his hands and looked into his eyes attentively before giving him an intense peck on the lips, like he was grateful and proud of his little feisty bluff to her. As he pulled back, he nodded at the ferryman disapprovingly though, but letting out a nice laugh shortly after.

They went up the hill to meet with Klaus, so they could all go to the party in Jesper’s carriage together. They soon saw the bearded man in front of the cabin finishing wrapping what it seemed to be a small sized sled.

Once the carriage fully stopped, Mogens questioned “are you _still_ delivering presents, old man? That’s what I call commitment”.

Klaus put the wrapped sled on the back of the carriage and hopped inside to sit with it “just _a_ present, singular. There’s a new family there now and they have a little girl. Márgu is her name and she loves to play in the snow”.

The Sámi people didn’t live that close from Smeerensburg, therefore, it took them a couple of hours to reach the place. When they finally saw the lights, Jesper felt anxious, but excited at the same time.

He got down the carriage to help Klaus with the present while Mogens tied the horse. “Is that _velvet_ that you’re wearing?”, the postman asked, with an impressed expression.

Klaus touched the fabric and was about to say something when he was interrupted by the ferryman “so damn fancy, eh? But purple would still look better. And you already had a nice red coat”. The bearded man countered fast “but this is _dark_ red!”, and Jesper assured “you look great in red, Klaus”. Mogens was already chuckling, just nodding his head as Klaus spoke to him “you see?! Red is the best color for me, as I said”.

The postman tapped the bearded man on the back and then, he fixed his red scarf “we’re kind of matching”. Mogens got closer and expressed his thoughts “if you take the scarf off, you’re ready for a funeral!”, and he cried laughing at his own joke. Jesper rolled his eyes and didn’t even considered mentioning that he was thinking the exact same thing as he was getting dressed, otherwise, the man would tease him the whole night about it.

Instead, he commented “you know this by now, but sometimes is extremely hard to tell when you’re drunk or not”, and Mogens quickly promised, before Klaus could give him another sermon about booze “I’m not drunk, I’m just happy! Can’t I be happy with people I love by my side?”, he expressed, wrapping his arms around both of them, switching his look back and forth.

Klaus was serious and, after a moment, he requested “just drink something that’s nonalcoholic at some point, at least”. Mogens nodded at that, giving them a last and harder slap on their shoulders.

“Did you bring your hot cocoa?”, the bearded man asked Jesper, that confirmed promptly “yeah, of course. Don’t worry, Klaus. We won’t embarrass you in front of your girlfriend”. Mogens didn’t miss his chance to tease the man a little, so he raised his eyebrows a couple of times and sent him multiple air smooches.

They walked between the Sámi tents and reached where most of the people were in a minute. They were all singing and dancing, with kids running around them, throwing snow balls at each other and giggling.

As soon as Klaus spotted his woman, he gave the present to Jesper and opened his arms to her, saying fondly “Siljá, my darling!”. He hugged her with such affection that made Jesper and Mogens smile at the sight.

They all greeted each other and, out of nowhere, a really small and cute little blond girl came running, shouting Klaus’ name in between Sámi words. Siljá spoke “she is happy to see you. She wants the present you promised her”.

“Ho, ho, ho! Come here, dear girl”, Klaus addressed the kid before picking her up, “I got you something I think you will like”, he continued saying, and Siljá translated to Márgu.

She was still clapping her hands with joy when they turned to Jesper and Mogens. “Jes, the present”, the ferryman said while pocking him on the arm. All this time, Jesper was just amazed by that little kid. Watching her, he saw a girl so young, so happy and so full of joy that something even sparkled deep inside his heart.

Klaus put her on the ground and the postman kneeled by her “here you go… Márgu”, he smiled, offering her the present.

The little girl screamed even louder once she opened and saw what it was “oh _giitu, giitu, giitu_ , Klaus!”. _“Lea go borre”_ , he responded. Jesper had no idea what they were saying, but he assumed she was thanking him for the sled.

Jesper and Mogens took their drinks to a table and then, they went to play with Márgu and her new sled. That girl was so full with life that after a while, it was hard to keep up with her pace.

Later, Mogens went to sit by Klaus’ side and they chit-chatted while watching Jesper chasing Márgu with a snowball in his hands.

“Jesper really seems to love kids, eh?”, the ferryman commented. At that, Klaus huffed “is that a worry for the future I feel, Mogens?”. “No”, the man was quick to say, before taking a sip of his hot cocoa.

Silence lingered for a bit, but eventually, the bearded man suggested “you see, adoption is always an-“, but Mogens cut him off “goddamn chief, we aren’t even a married couple yet”, and he cough, nervously, tapping his leg up and down. Klaus repeated in great amusement _“yet…”_ , while nodding his head.

Suddenly, Jesper came to them, heavy breathing and brushing his hair back “oh, that girl has more energy than any kid I ever met! She can’t get enough of that sled. You really nailed it with the present, Klaus”.

The bearded man hummed and then acknowledged “she seems to like you a lot”. Genuinely happy by that, the postman agreed “yeah... I like her too”, and he sat in between the two men. They all watched the party from there while talking randomly about nice topics in general.

The Sámi people, as well as their outsiders’ guests for that night drank, chatted, danced and laughed a lot together. Some of them talked the same language as Jesper, Klaus and Mogens, so it was possible to communicate without much trouble. Jesper and Mogens tried to learn a few Sámi words, as well as one of their traditional dances, but they ended up doing their own thing regarding the last one.

At some point, they spotted Klaus dancing with Siljá and the man knew all of the moves already. “Huh… Just look at that. I wasn’t expecting him to actually be good at it”, Mogens admitted with joy in his eyes, still looking at them.

“He's been practicing. And with a good partner”, Jesper shot back. Mogens faced him and faked being deeply offended “what’s that supposed to mean? I’m not a good partner?”.

The postman laughed and wrapped his arms tighter around Mogens’ neck “maybe on other dances, you are… But definitely not Sámi dances”. The ferryman held Jesper by the waist and they started slow dancing together. The song didn’t match, but neither of them cared.

“How are you feeling?”, Jesper asked after a while, and Mogens admitted “I feel like having a real drink right about know”, sighing.

The postman caressed his cheek as the ferryman went on “this is hard. It doesn’t feel right. I can’t just fully stop, Jes”. Aftet some reflection, Jesper pecked the man on the lips and requested “give me your cup”.

Mogens watched the blond man going to the drinks table and when he got back, there was more hot cocoa inside of his cup, which made Mogens tense up “I said _real_ drink”. Offering the cup firmly, Jesper tried to convince him “just taste it”.

Although a little apprehensive, the ferryman took a sip of it. Stunned, he grinned “ah, now this is way better”.

“I spiked it with a little whiskey, just for you”, the postman assured. Mogens held him by the waist and they started slow dancing again “I appreciate it, love”.

Márgu was sitting alone looking at everyone dancing and having fun. Eventually, Jesper noticed the sadness in her eyes and went to sit by her side “hey, what are you doing here all alone? Where are your friends?”.

He saw that she was staring at a group of kids playing, yet, she gave shoulders while talking Sámi, a bit upset. Jesper frowned and tried to imagine what she was saying. Was the other kids mean to her? How could someone dislike such an adorable little girl?

“Don't they want to play with you? Well, it’s their loss, anyway. People can be really mean for no reason”, Jesper expressed, watching the children kick a ball around.

She turned to him and spoke some more, like he could understand her, and he talked back just the same. It was like there was no language barrier whatsoever.

As they chatted, the postman told her about his life in Smeerensburg doing a lot of hand gestures and sound effects while acting the events, which made Márgu laugh. She started doing the same and, as far as he could pick up, her family left the place they lived before and travelled for days in the cold, sleeping in different places through it, until they reached that village, where their distant kin lived.

He asked her about siblings and she showed him with her fingers that her parents only had her. Márgu looked at the kids playing again and her eyes started to water, breaking Jesper’s heart immensely.

He soon folded his hands with all of his fingers interlaced inside and show it to her “right here, we have this village!”, and once he turned over his hands, he opened them and wiggled his fingers “and it’s full with a lot of happy people, having lots of fun”. A smile appeared in her face and that automatically made him smile too.

Then, he left only one finger inside his hands next, and did the same thing. As he opened, she was surprised there was only one “but sometimes, a person can feel really lonely, even with lots of people around”.

Jesper did it again, and now there was two fingers “when you least expect it, you find a friend. I can be your friend if you want!”, and he tried to tell her that the two fingers having fun together was them two. He wasn’t sure if she understood, until her eyes were filled with delight as she nodded with excitement, speaking a bunch of Sámi words.

He showed the “village” inside of his hands a few more times, with three and then, four "people", explaining to her that friends come and go, and she would get a lot of them throughout her life besides him, but he could always be there for her, regardless.

After that, they played a bunch of little games together, and he tried to make some magic tricks, as well. “Have you ever heard of the story about the imprisoned princess? She was watched at all times by the guards of her castle, especially after telling her father she wanted to marry a simple peasant boy that she fell in love with”. Márgu was clearly not understanding a single word, but she was still carefully listening.

Jesper went on, while taking a leaf from the ground and cutting it in two small pieces. He rolled the two pieces separately and placed them on each of her hands, requesting her to keep the arms straight forward, with her palms upwards, but one arm a little lower than the other.

He said “the princess could see her lover down there every day from her window, but that was all they could do. See each other from far away…”, and he tried to explain that one leaf, the higher up, was the princess and the other, lower down, was the peasant boy she loved.

“Eventually, she couldn’t stand to be far away from him for another second, so she began to plan her escape”. He moved the leaf-princess from Márgu’s hand and placed it right on her arm folding. Then, he made her fold it, keeping the leaf in place.

He did the same with her other arm as he went on with the story “she still would go to town to see him, but he was always far from her, since the guards wouldn’t let them near each other”. The postman moved the leaves from each arm fold back to her palms “and they would have to part ways after exchanging just a few looks from afar. That was all they had, each day”.

He repeated the process a couple more times and Márgu watched intently as the leaves would go back and forth from her palms to the fold of her arms.

“But one day”, Jesper whispered in a mysterious tone, “the princess went after a witch to seek help for her plan. She disappeared in the crowd and went to get a rare potion. She left all of her jewelry as payment for the witch and, when she walked back, the guards took her to her father. She promised she hasn’t met with her peasant lover and that she was mugged from her jewelry. Now, there was even more guards watching her and she also couldn’t leave the castle for a whole week!”.

Jesper turned both leaves from her palms in a way that they would face each other, “she could only see him from the window now. Further away...”.

The little girl was eager to know what would happen next with the leaves, so he kept going, “once the week was over, she could go out again, and so she did”, and he moved the princess and the peasant boy from the palms to her arms, folding them tight, “but something crazy happened that day! She ran towards her lover and made him drink half the potion. Quickly, the guards got to them. The boy was taken away; exiled from the kingdom, and she was locked in her room at the castle. But she didn’t scream or cry. Instead, she drank the rest of the position and, out of nowhere, a smoke started rising… Ah!”, he shouted at the end and moved his hands up in the air, speaking gibberish; a “spell” pointing to her arms.

He made an excited expression and theorized “oh, let’s see if it worked”. He opened her arm with the princess and, by Márgu’s surprise, the leaf that represented her wasn’t there anymore.

Jesper explained “and then… She was gone! Puff! Like magic”, making a hand gesture as he said it. Right after, he opened her other arm, to reveal both leaves magically resting there next to each other “the princess and the peasant boy were together, at last. They had their very first kiss right at that moment before running far, far away. And then, they lived happily ever after”.

Márgu had her mouth open, speechless. She took the leaves to examine it and checked her arms to try to comprehend how that was possible. She started making a lot of questions in Sámi, and Jesper knew she was intrigued.

He gloated “ah, no. A magician can never reveal his secrets”, with a great laugh. She tried to do the same to him, but nothing seemed to work.

Mogens was observing them from afar and then, he came close as they laughed in great fun. “What are you two doing?”, the man asked.

Full of happiness, Jesper looked up and Márgu continued to mess with his arms and hands “ah, you know, just playing and talking… About life. She’s a really good listener”. Mogens grinned and nodded at that, followed by a messy touch in the postman’s hair.

“We are heading back now”, he informed, although Jesper was genuinely shocked “already?!”. Scratching his chin, the ferryman said “It’s late, Jes”, and he offered his hand for the blond man to get up.

Klaus was waiting for them with Siljá and a Sámi couple when the three of them showed up in the distance. Jesper and Mogens were holding Márgu’s hands and she would giggle every time they'd lifted her off the ground.

As soon as the little girl saw the group of people waiting, she let go of their hands and went running to hug her parents, by the looks of it.

Klaus asked the postman once they finally reached them too “are you ready to leave, Jesper?”, and even though he had a smile going, he just glimpsed at Márgu and shrugged “I guess so”.

The little girl’s father picked her up and walked away with her. The smile on her face as she waved him goodbye in her father’s arms made Jesper feel like everything he had done up until that point was the only way things could have happened in his life. The happiness in the postman’s heart was so strong and real that he started to tear up a little. He quickly pretended he was just scratching his eyes as he tried to keep the happy tears from falling.

The bearded man spoke to him “before we go, Márgu’s mother wants to offer you something”. “Really?”, Jesper said with curiosity.

The woman came forward, gave him a Sámi knit cap and talked a little. As she did so, Siljá translated “she wants you to take this gift as a 'thanks' for offering company to her daughter today. Márgu is still new to the other children and sometimes is hard for her to make friendships”. Jesper gulped and felt extremely warm.

Unhesitatingly, he took the knit cap and put it on his head “thank you, I-, thank you very much”, was all he could think of, since his mind was all over the place knowing that he had made a few more friends himself. The woman simply nodded and smiled back at him.

After they all said their goodbyes, Jesper, Mogens and Klaus walked back to the carriage, but before stepping inside, the postman asked, a little intrigued “I wonder why she felt like she _owned_ me for such a gesture. I had a lot of fun with Márgu today”.

After an exchange of looks between Klaus and Mogens, the bearded man let out, followed by a nice sigh “a true selfless act always sparks another”. “Ain’t that the truth”, the ferryman quickly mused, tapping the man on the back, like he’d heard him say that before.

The journey back was quite enjoyable and Jesper almost forgot about the cold wind as Mogens and Klaus distracted him by singing a few familiar tunes. After too much teasing and importunity, the postman finally joined them, but just with a humming sound, making the two men happy enough. Although, by the time they were almost reaching the cabin, Jesper joined them for good, and the three of them sang and laugh for the rest of the way.

When they got to the bearded man’s cabin, Jesper called for Klaus before he could open the door “hey! Ah… Can we go back there soon? Or, I don’t know… Maybe Siljá can bring Márgu to the cabin once in a while!”. His sudden energy boost at the end of the sentence got both men laughing.

Mogens joked in amusement “love, they’re gonna think you’re trying to kidnap the kid”.Trying to counter that, Jesper claimed “don’t tell me you don’t wanna see that cute smile again. Oh, and by the way”, he faced the bearded man that was walking back towards the carriage again “are you learning Sámi, Klaus? How’s that work? Can I join?”. Klaus giggled pleasantly while the ferryman pointed out “goddamn! Easy does it, sweetheart”.

While fixing his beard, Klaus finally assured to him “yes, yes. We can talk with Siljá about it all sometime”, and before Jesper even realized, he had a full on grin in his face. That was true joy he was feeling, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two more chapters to go and that is it :)


	35. When the First Spring Flower Blossoms

It wasn’t crabs season, but the beach was filled with them, of all sorts. Mogens thought it was a nice sight, nonetheless, as he watched them running around. Jesper was not there with him, but he wasn’t feeling alone. He had taken that time to just appreciate the sea and also, to try and feel his brother’s presence on that early and pleasing morning.

The sky was cloudy and the sea was quiet, but the crabs were agitated, so much so that, pretty quickly, more and more started to come out from the water. Eventually, it was hard to even see the sand beneath them. There were just so many!

The ferryman gave a few steps back, frowning, but before he could think too much of it, a familiar voice called for him from the wooden path that led to his boat. As he looked over, he couldn’t believe his eyes: his _mother_ was there, sobbing, but with a smile on her face.

He ran to her as fast as he could, but it took a lot of effort. The sand felt denser and heavier underneath his boots. He was just a few more steps away when he stopped abruptly at the sight of his father on the top part of the boat. Mogens’ heart was racing so much and his mouth felt extremely dry. What were they doing there?

“Kill him! Kill him now”, he heard Mr. Brooks shouting to his mom.

At that very same instant, she held up a gun and pointed at Mogens, who tried to shout, but everything came out in a whisper, “no… Don’t listen to him!”. He raised his arms up and gave a slow step forward, while staring at her intensively, “it’s me, mom. It’s your son”.

Mr. Brooks got off the boat and went onto the wooden path to stand next to her. He placed a hand on the woman’s shoulder. Now, taking a closer look at his father, Mogens noticed that both of his hands was covered in blood and that he was holding a small pocket knife.

Breathing hard, he demanded an answer “what have you done?!”, but the man just laughed contemptuously, before looking down at his side.

Mogens traced down to where he was looking at and spotted a body floating in red waters. A young man. Faced down. Dark blond hair. _“Jes?!”_ , he thought.

Completely ignoring the gun pointed right at him, the ferryman jumped straight into the sea, grabbed a hold of the body and turned it to see its face. Yes, it really was Jesper.

Mogens found it difficult to breathe as he tapped the postman’s face rapidly, calling out for him to open his eyes, but he soon saw the bloody slit on his throat. His world was falling apart as tears poured down from his eyes “no, it can’t be. Jes…”.

He was shaking, trying to stop the bleeding with an unsteady hand, but it was useless. Jesper was long gone. Mogens held him close, bawling his eyes out. He looked up at his parents on the wooden path and screamed "why?! Why _him?_ You could've just taken me. It’s me you want".

Looking straight at his mother, he watched her put the finger on the trigger. She nodded, trying to explain “you’re not Mikkel. You’re an atrocious witch”. Her smile faded away, giving place to an enraged expression, but tears kept falling down slowly.

“Do it!”, Mr. Brooks shouted, “do it now that you have the chance”.

Mogens faced Jesper one last time. So pale and cold; lips in a bluish-purple color now. He pulled his hair back and kissed his forehead before promising "I love you. So damn much. I will always love you, Jesper". Then, the gun was fired and Mogens was dead.

All of the sudden, everything went black, but so very bright only a second later as the ferryman opened his eyes. He had just woken up on his boat with the morning light coming in from the window, straight into his eyes. He sat up on the bed and took a deep and trembled breath. _"Fuck"_ , he whispered, running a hand through his face.

Looking down at his side, he was pleased to see that he hadn't woken up Jesper, at least. That man was in a very heavy and peaceful sleep, which made Mogens smile in delight. He went ahead and pulled the covers over the postman’s bare chest; it was really cold and they were still naked from the night before.

Then, the ferryman caressed his hair for a good while, just watching him sleep, until the blond man woke up naturally.

"How long have you been awake for?", Jesper asked drowsily. "Not long", Mogens lied. He didn't want to worry or scare his lover with his awful nightmare. But with all things considered, was Mogens afraid that his parents would still find him someday? Maybe so, but it would never happen like that. He would be there to protect Jesper until the end, even if it costed his life.

"What's wrong?", the postman frowned, noticing Mogens distracted, deep in thoughts.

Quickly, the ferryman scratched his eyes and assured "it’s nothing. I have to go get Alva in a bit, that's all". Jesper moved up to look at the clock on the nightstand behind Mogens and sighed "I should probably go to work too", but he lay back down and just stared at the ceiling. It was a good and normal day and everything was just fine.

After touching his necklace firmly for a quick moment, Mogens moved to place his hands on the mattress around Jesper and hovered above, staring down at him, studiously.

Smiling softly, the postman caressed his cheek as he wet his lips with his tongue, making the ferryman grin. Jesper was simply wonderful in that morning light; with bright blond hair and pinkish-red lips, so unlike his nightmare just a few minutes before.

Mogens turned his head to give a quick kiss on the palm that held his cheek, right on the scar there, and then, he closed the gap between them to kiss the postman’s lips tenderly.

Jesper hasn't moved to the boathouse like they planned to before, but it was as if they lived together, anyway. For the past weeks, they haven't slept apart from each other not even for a day and they would mix it up between the boathouse and the post office depending on what it was more convenient for the next day.

“Get your ass up, Jesper”, Mogens shouted from the kitchen area, already dressed, while making them coffee, but the postman just groaned and put an arm over his face to cover his eyes, yawning.

Eventually, he left the bed, grabbed a pair of pants to wear and went to get a cup of coffee.

Almost done with his own cup, Mogens commented, after watching that sleepy man almost spilling his drink as he poured, “you desperately need a haircut, sweetcheeks”, but Jesper just hummed at that while taking a sip.

Then, the ferryman tried to fix his messy hair as much as he could before giving him a nice kiss on the cheek.

As Mogens went to put his coat and hat on, he heard Jesper mumbling out “don’t tell Alva I left”, he scratched his face and added, “I mean… I want to tell her myself. About everything that’s happen”, sighing at the end.

After Jesper placed his cup in the sink, Mogens walked back to him and touched his arms “alright. Whatever you say, love”, and then with a quick laugh, but gentle voice, he let the postman know “there’s coffee on your nose, by the way”.

Before Jesper could rub it off, Mogens gave him a fast and wet lick over it. Giggling, the postman swiped the back of his hand to get rid of the wetness, but still held the man close by the nape of his neck to lightly brush their noses together. “Thanks”, he whispered, along with an endearing smile, before kissing his lips.

Mogens held his waist as their tongues swirled on one another, but not too long after, he pushed him back a bit. In between a breathless chuckle, the ferryman spoke “I really gotta go”.

It was relatively late, therefore, Jesper went quickly to his drawer in the dresser to get an old and cozy flannel shirt he brought with him from his house.

He was putting his arms in the sleeves when he asked the ferryman "tell me something, but be honest about it". Mogens gave a curious frown and stepped closer, nodding for him to speak his mind, so the postman went on, while fixing the collar of his shirt "does it get, at least… Just a _little_ warm in Smeerensburg, like… Ever?".

The ferryman let out a breath he was holding and he huffed fondly at the question. He thought it would be something a lot more serious and concerning. "Of course it does", he assured, "not for very long, but yeah, it's not always freezing cold in Smeerensburg”, although he finished, after clearing his throat, “just most of the time".

Jesper puckered his lips, hummed and stared blankly, making Mogens enquire "you aight?". The postman focused back on his lover, "just not sure if I like this answer", and Mogens chuckled as he took the ends of Jesper's flannel shirt to button it up for him "is that really your concern right now? You survived winter. You surely can survive spring”. The blond man was just staring at him, while his lover's hands went up his chest, closing all the buttons.

When Mogens finished, Jesper said "I suppose you're right", and the ferryman tapped his chest lightly "I'm always right, dearest".

“You know everything, huh?”, Jesper teased with his head up and a subtle smile, making Mogens just gloat and nod, glancing at his lips.

In a swift motion, Jesper took his hat and put it on his own head. "You can be the postman today, then. And I'll be the ferryman", he decided confidently.

In between laughs, Mogens shot back “ah, yeah? I mean, I could easily be a postman, darling, but you couldn't be a ferryman”, which made Jesper frown really hard “why not?”.

Like it was an obvious answer, Mogens lowered the peak of the hat exaggeratedly, covering Jesper's face fully as he explained, right on his ear “well, a ferryman has to drive a ferry, which is something you cannot do. Are we starting to connect the dots here or...?”.

Jesper took the hat off and rolled his eyes, recalling about his behavior towards the man on their first time meeting each other. “Shut up”, he let out faintly, but then agreed “I guess I forgot about that part”.

Pulling his hair back, Jesper went on in a lower tone “you could show me how”. He did look eager to learn, but Mogens was honest “it’s not that simple, but I could, if you truly want”, and they just smiled at one another.

After that, Jesper gave his hat back, put his shoes and coat and made his way to leave.

Before he walked the wooden path, the postman turned back and assured “oh, and just so you know, you couldn't easily be the postman. Everyone knows that I'm the only rightful one around here!”. All he heard in return as he kept walking away was “why of course! It would be hard to compete with such excellency”, in a fail attempt to sound ironic, making the blond man just smile warmly to himself.

Jesper was very happy about seeing Alva again. There was so much to tell her that thinking about it all was even making it hard for him to concentrate on work.

“This one too!”, he heard an impatient voice saying. He looked up and saw an irritated man holding out a second letter for him. Getting his mind back at the post office, he took the envelope and expressed “immediately, sir!”, before stamping that one, as well.

It was quite busy that day and the postman made the best of it. Ever since he got back, he started to love the job even more. He much rather stay indoors than face the cold outside though, but a little while later, he had to leave to deliver the mail. It was a nice routine to have. He knew a lot of the townspeople by name and also who owned raged dogs and who didn’t.

As the postman passed through the house of one of his favorite customers, the woman who sold honey, he was called for right away “postman! Look who just got here. Come say hello”. He already had a smile going, since he could guess what was that all about.

There was a pregnant woman next to her and they were watching a small child playing with some toys close by.

The honey woman promptly said “that’s my beautiful daughter I told you so much about. And that one is my grandson”, pointing to the little boy. They greeted each other and chatted for a bit.

The daughter told the postman about the times she lived in Smeerensburg herself and, apparently, the island was even more dangerous before he got there the first time; an impossible place to get along with other people. Regardless, she fell in love and they moved quite far. Her son was only three years old and they discussed all sort of topics related to children and her pregnancy.

In the end, she apologized “oh well, I don’t wanna bore you with all this talk about kids. I’m sure you have more important things to do”, but Jesper was quick to reply “you’re not boring me at all. I love children”.

As they talked some more, the postman told them about the party he went to and how much the people liked the hot cocoa recipe from their family, which made them very pleased to know.

Then, he eventually asked the daughter “was Alva with you on the ferry? The local teacher?”, and learning that his good friend was back already made him really eager to see her. Therefore, after a few more quick topics and nice chit-chats, Jesper said goodbye and went on his way to the school.

Once he got there, he saw Mogens helping Alva out with some heavy bags. A lot of them, in fact. “Did you bring back everything you own or something?”, Jesper joked when he got close enough for them to hear it.

“Jesper!”, Alva shouted with a big smile on her face and she went running to hug him; his hat even falling off his head at the impact.

She talked in the embrace, with joyful eyes “ah, I missed you a lot. How are you?”, although pulling back to mention "you desperately need a haircut, Jesper. Your hair looks like a bird nest”. Mogens laughed in the back, but the postman just rolled his eyes as he took his hat of the ground, dust it off and put it back on his head.

With a very sarcastic tone, he said “and I missed being taken the piss of by the both of you together”. He took a bag in hand and help them move her stuff inside. While doing so, she talked about her family, especially her brother and sister-in-law, but the ferryman touched the dog’s subject for, apparently, a second time.

“I told you already at the boat, Mogens. They are still too young”, Alva explained, and the man shot back “but tell him. You said you’ll go back for one in a couple of months”. That whole discussion was just filling Jesper with a lot of happiness.

He then asked, all excited “are we getting a dog?!”, making Alva raise her eyebrows at him “oh, it’s a ‘we’ now, is it? Excuse me! And firstly, Mogens”, she looked back at the ferryman, “that’s not all I said! What I said was that I would do that if my parents can’t find a home for all six of them”.

They chatted some more about the puppies and dogs in general and, after everything was all set, Alva sat at her desk and faced the postman “so, Mogens said you have a lot of important things to tell me. What’s up?”.

The two men exchanged looks and, for some reason, Jesper felt it was better to start from the end, precisely on what he was doing for the last few weeks “I’m learning Sámi language now, Alva! Yeah. It's still pretty recent. It isn’t as easy as I thought it would be”.

She seemed really confused, of course. That had nothing to do with Jesper and Mogens' relationship, a simple question she made the ferryman when they were sailing to the island and he refused to tell her, at the postman’s own request.

Alva enquired, shortly “wait a second, but what about right after I left? Did you moved in with Mogens?”, and as she realized something else, she added, looking at Jesper’s hat “and why are you wearing your postman’s uniform? You weren’t fired?”.

After a scratch on his neck, the ferryman touched Jesper’s shoulder and said “I'll leave you to it”. Then, he tipped his hat at her “Miss. Alva”, before going out the door. Mogens knew they needed some time alone between the good friends they were; Alva being the very first real friend Jesper made on the island.

With that, the postman could’t help but ponder on the fact that Alva and Mogens could've been really good friends too before he even got there, that is, if she hasn't listened to any of the Smeerensburg's rumors about the man. Also, with Klaus, for that matter! All it would take was for them to know each other better, but it was okay, nonetheless, since her friendship with them was starting to blossom now. _“Better late than never”_ , he thought to himself.

They talked for a good while about all of the events after Alva’s departure and she interrupted him a few times to comment, to facepalm or even, to give him a slap on the arm.

“Well, I’m happy everything’s fine now”, she assured, “but leaving just a short note to Klaus before completely disappearing… Really, Jesper?!”, and she slapped him a second time for that one. He wasn’t going to argue with her. She was right, after all.

As they talked, she sighed “you almost screwed everything up. I should’ve been here to help you”, but in the end, she understood that there wasn’t much he could do against his father.

Getting into the Kelden topic, Jesper found it was hard to discuss that trip and Mogens’ parents with her. Alva didn’t know much about the ferryman’s family anyway, so he just passed through the most important parts in general, similar on how he did with Mogens, at times.

The weeks prior to the Kelden trip was a big blur for him, so he skipped through most of that, too. In those days, he would just talk to his horse, remembering his times in Smeerensburg; he would walk aimlessly in the corridors of his house, recalling the good old days he had with his mother there; or he would just lay on his bed for hours, sometimes crying, sometimes feeling nothing at all, just numb of emotions.

He hadn’t felt quite like that again for a long time and it became tough to simply get up the bed as the days went by. He was helpless and terribly alone, in his perspective. The only proper human contact he had was Bernard, that would take him food and talk with him for a while, besides playing card games sometimes, in the hopes that Jesper would eventually surpass that state.

The postman really wasn’t ready to talk with Alva, nor with Mogens, about the depressed moments of his life. It was scary to even think back on his teenage years, especially on the very first time he took his father’s handgun from his office and tried to do something he was glad he didn’t have the gut for. Or better saying, he was glad Bernard _caught him_ standing in the middle of his room with the gun pointed at his head just as the courage to actually pull the trigger was starting to creep up on his mind.

Maybe someday he would feel comfortable enough to talk about it, but at that instant, the postman just felt like living his best life, without having to think about his father or the desperations of his soul.

The chat became lighter as they started discussing Klaus and Siljá, as well as Márgu and all of the Sámi people. He told Alva that Mogens had given up with the Sámi learning only on the third day, but he was still confident he would succeed, in time.

It was so easy to talk to her about his relationship with the ferryman and he felt extremely grateful for having a friend like her.

Living on that island really changed his whole outlook on life as a whole, regarding friends, love, as well as acceptance of who he was.

\--

As time went by, the first signs of spring started to show in Smeerensburg. All sorts of flowers were blossoming around the island and sunny days became a reality Jesper never thought he would witness there. It was still a little chilly, but nothing like autumn or winter.

Jesper had convinced Mogens to give the Sámi language another try and they would learn it together at Klaus’ cabin, when Siljá came. He was spending a lot of time there, in fact, and Mogens tried to join them as much as he could, depending on his ferry schedule.

Their kisses would turn into cuddles on the cabin’s couch and Jesper would usually lay with Mogens with a journal and a pen in hand as Siljá sat next to Klaus close to the fire, teaching them Sámi.

Sometimes, Siljá would bring Márgu too, and Jesper was the happiest man when that happened! They all played a lot together, told tales around a bonfire and even spent the night over, at times. It was a big cabin, after all, and Alva would drop by as well, each time with a new soup experiment.

Although things were as best as it could be, the postman still thought about his father every so often, wondering if the man would ever want to see him again. But he couldn't have it all; he knew that. And what he had at that moment was already more than enough for him.

It was an easy and tranquil life. Even though Jesper would still find Mrs. Krum's angry eyes on him when he was doing his routes, he didn’t have nothing too bad to worry about. Occasionally, Mogens would drink too much and cause a scene at the tavern, but they'd manage to work things out.

Furthermore, the ferryman would sometimes catch Jesper smoking one of his smuggled cigarettes from the big city, even though he promised he had thrown them all away ages ago. If they had a fight about anything, they would always find their way back into each other’s arms eventually, especially with make-up sex.

Rainy days were Mogens’ favorites. He would have the day off to spend cuddling with his lover and enjoying the life he had now. It was always nice to stay an extra day at Klaus’ cabin and lunches there became more and more regular.

At times, the bearded man would go visit Siljá at her village and Jesper and Mogens would stay there, just talking with each other about all sorts of topics, even on the darkest moments of their lives. They weren't afraid to show vulnerability or to cry at each other's shoulder and they both felt like they had a true friend in the other.

Besides that, they would also try to make something edible, since neither of them was too much of a cook and they felt like learning to make things together.

In the end, they'd always end up simply hugging or falling asleep at the couch which, for the matter, was confier than any couches Jesper had ever seen, even the fancy ones from his old house.

Needless to say, they would also take long walks outside and suck each other's dicks in the great breeze of nature. They were lucky nobody caught them yet, this being Jesper’s biggest concern regarding doing stuff like that in “public”.

\--

One day, they went on a camping trip with Klaus, Alva, Siljá and Márgu. There was food and drinks to their heart's content, even for the reindeers, and the weather was nice and fresh.

They were all having a great time, laughing and roasting s’mores over a small fire as the sun shone high, although the postman was the only one warming his hands in the heat of the flames. Also, only he wore a scarf, but a thinner one, at least.

“I feel a lot colder than everyone else, for some reason. Leave me alone”, the blond man felt the need to say when everyone laughed at his unusual spring outfit.

Jesper was especially pleased he was now able to talk a little with Márgu without needing much translations from Siljá and the little girl was happy to tell him all about the new friends she made. He felt a little jealous, of course, but it was good that she finally made friends her own age.

They all talked, played and laughed a lot that afternoon. Mogens was sitting across from Jesper and the ferryman eventually started glancing at him more often than not. With a lighthearted smile, the postman questioned him with just a look and Mogens blew him a kiss. Jesper’s brows tightened, pretending to find that so silly, but the curl on his lips was telling otherwise.

They were still talking with the others, but the ferryman was making it very difficult to concentrate, as he secretively tried to get his lover’s attention with coughs, subtle winks, cheeky smiles and such. At one point, Mogens was just unabashedly staring at him without looking away, which made Jesper blush really hard as their eyes just locked on one another.

The sexual tension between them was becoming unbearable, so Mogens decided to say out loud “I’m gonna go pick up some raspberries. They should've bloomed by now”, and then, looking straight at Jesper’s deep blue eyes, he invited “care to join me?”.

Jesper and Mogens walked through the forest for a good half an hour. As they did so, the postman would look over his lover with a bashful smile, sometimes playing with a flower or a stick on the way. He was redder by the minute and the ferryman just could’t look away. They started walking closer and closer until, eventually, Mogens wrapped an arm around Jesper’s neck.

They kept walking, although slower now, and the postman turned his head to whisper “what are we doing?”, but Mogens assured ironically, as it was so clear “picking up raspberries, of course. Why? What else do you have in mind?”.

Jesper teased “What _I_ have in mind? What _you_ have in mind?”, but before the ferryman could make his remark on that, Jesper looked ahead and frowned “oh, there’s _actually_ raspberries here”, and he went alone towards it, picked up a few in hand and began eating them.

The ferryman was so confused, as he truly wasn’t expecting to find any fruit there, especially not the exact one he said they would get. Regardless, he played it out “yeah, what did you think this was, eh?”, mocking the situation.

Narrowing his eyes, Jesper assumed, still eating the fruit “hum, I don’t know. You were practically eating me out with your eyes back there”, being as honest as ever, something he picked up from the ferryman himself with time.

Mogens was impressed “goddamn! Well, but I saved the best for last, though; I’ll tell you that much... We’ll play a little game first. You like games, don'tcha, Jes?”.

“Will you sing for me?”, the postman joked fast, but with very hopeful eyes.

After just staring back at him for a moment, Mogens sighed and walked over to where he stood. Then, he touched his lover's chest, feeling his heartbeats underneath his fingers. He ran his hands up, until he grabbed a hold of the blond man’s scarf. He pulled the fabric off his neck and asked him to turn around. Without much hesitation, Jesper did what was asked of him and he huffed as the scarf covered his eyes.

He took the last raspberry to his mouth while just standing there, blindfolded and completely alone now, since he turned back and tried to touch Mogens, with no luck.

Jesper soon heard a familiar whistling tune at the opposite side of where he was facing, so he spun quickly, with his hands hovering in the air.

Finally, he heard the singing words:

 _“Dashing through the snow, in a one-horse open sleigh, o'er the fields we go, laughing all the way. Bells on bobtails ring, making spirits bright, what fun it is to ride and sing, a sleighing song tonight_ ”.

The blond man was laughing when he tried to say “it’s not even Christmas yet, you idiot”, but he followed the voice, anyway. The holiday season was still long months away, but Jesper was already so excited for it. He knew it would be even better than last year's, especially with the opportunity to bring joy to more children than ever before.

Mogens started singing once more, but even further this time:

_“Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way. Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh, hey!”_

Jesper almost tripped over a log as he walked. “Careful now”, he heard it next. The man was watching him.

Soon enough, the postman shouted “don’t walk so fast!”, and he could clearly hear a light giggle in the air.

“ _A day or two ago, I thought I'd take a ride…”_

Mogens was singing again, closer than before, but still further than Jesper would’ve liked. He sang and sang and the postman followed, still laughing about it all.

He kept singing and was now just a few steps from reaching his lover. Jesper stopped walking as he realized the man was moving towards him, singing lower and more softly at each step:

“ _A day or two ago, the story I must tell, I went out on the snow and on my back I fell. A gent was riding by in a one-horse open sleigh. He laughed as there I sprawling lie, but quickly drove… Away_ ”.

In the end, his rough voice was barely a whisper, and the postman could feel the air from his breath close to his face.

Jesper joked, regarding the lyrics “that would’ve been you driving away if you saw me sprawl on the floor all those months ago”. Mogens had a closed smile going before he said, staring steadily at his mouth “nah, I’m sure I would've help ya, love”, and then, he audibly kissed his own fingers and took it to Jesper’s lips. The postman was surprised by it, but he quickly grabbed a hold of Mogens’ arm before the man could walk away again and he removed the scarf covering his view.

His breath caught once he saw the ferryman gazing him deeply with genuine warmth in his eyes.

“I’ll always be here to catch you when you fall, Jes”, Mogens let out. The words brought such heat to Jesper’s cheeks that he could’t disguise the sweet and innocent look on his face when he smiled.

It was so quiet and soothing in the forest at that instant. All they could hear now was the singing birds, besides their own heavy breaths as their eyes met in an intense manner.

Promptly, Jesper leaned over Mogens until their bodies were flushed together and their lips lightly brushed, before he gave the ferryman a real vigorous and lingering kiss.

They moved back little, and suddenly, Mogens was pinned against a tree. Jesper capture his mouth once more, giving a soft tug on his lower lip. As they kissed, the postman pressed his hips in closer with determination and thrust, and a subtle hum came out of his mouth in between breaths.

Not too long after, Mogens grabbed his ass, pressing their crotches even closer together, attempting some extra friction. He held Jesper’s cheek with a firm grip and kissed his neck profoundly, making the postman let out a tenuous sigh. Jesper wrapped an arm around the man’s neck and then pressed the hard bulge forming on his pants.

After that, they started undoing each other’s belts and pulling their pants down in a rush, until their dicks were finally free in that cool and gentle spring wind. Pretty soon, they stared rubbing them together while breathing into each other’s necks. Mogens was letting out soft moans and whispers while Jesper kissed his neck fervently, before reaching for his lips once more. Next, Jesper was just watching Mogens, who was giving him a well elaborated hand job, while his own dick was left aside, although immensely stiff.

Jesper felt the eager to release building up inside of him and he began stuttering his breathing more and more. Mogens let go of his dick, but not in a teasing manner. Jesper gave a deep breath as he watched carefully the ferryman taking both of their cocks now and frictioning them together again. He closed his eyes and kept a hold on the nape of Mogens’ neck as he enjoyed the pleasurable sensations going through his whole body.

Shortly, the feeling of one cock pulsating against the other was at its peak, making them cum only half a second apart, in fantastic timing. The ferryman didn't let go after that, but slowed down the pace a bunch, before coming to a complete stop. He let his own dick fall from his hand, but still kept holding onto Jesper’s, while they took heavy breaths following the thrill.

“That was rather quick”, Mogens joked, and the postman pressed their lips together before letting out a small laugh about it.

For a moment, they simply smiled against each other’s lips, in their own kind of sweet intimacy.

They lay side by side with their legs wrapped around each other on the green and fluffy grass, which was all covered in snow a little while ago. Not much long after, Mogens noticed that Jesper was shivering a bit. That man really wasn’t exaggerating whenever he talked about feeling the cold more intensely than other people!

“Do you wanna head back to the fire?”, the ferryman gently asked as the goosebumps in his lover's arms became more and more evident, but Jesper just turned his head and said, looking deeply at Mogens' eyes “my heart is warm. That’s good enough”, truly feeling that the ferryman was like his own anchor to life.

With a soft smile, Mogens moved to embrace him, giving an inbreath kiss on his forehead, as well. As he caressed the postman’s arm in the attempts to make it somewhat warmer, Jesper fully relaxed on Mogens’ chest, carefully listening to the rapidly heartbeats beneath him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story officially ends here! I hope it was a good read <3  
> (Next up, there’s a special “bonus chapter” to complement this fic as a whole).


	36. Are We Starting to Connect the Dots?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I was writing this fic, I had some random plot ideas that would only work prior to their love, so I decided to write it all down and create a little something extra, filled with lots of sassiness and tension between them.  
> Basically, this chapter is a “flashback” to when Jesper and Mogens first met and their very first impressions of each other.

_“Welcome to Viksengo”_ , read the hanging sign above Jesper Johanssen’s head. He finally had made a stop after travelling for hours on end through cold wind from the big city to the back of beyond, about to be the new postman in Smeerensburg. It wasn't even winter yet, but that place already had quite the temperature for it, leaving Jesper with a big concern on the back of his mind. He wasn't fit for extreme cold weather and if it was _this_ cold in autumn, he could’t even imagine how winter would be like around those parts. It wasn't enough to have to stop to change a wheel of his carriage a couple of hours back, but now he was truly lost in the middle of nowhere.

"What the-, where the hell is freaking _Smeerensburg?!_ ", he said to himself looking up at the sign. The postman was already annoyed as he picked up the region map from his coat pocket. Looking closely to make sure he was still on track, he saw that Viksengo was the closest place on land to the island he needed to go. “Great! I’ll need a boat now”, he let out a sigh and rolled his eyes.

He reached back into his pocket and pulled a cigarette out, quickly becoming extra upset as soon as he noticed there was only two left. Besides, it was impossible to light it with that amount of wind. The more he tried, the more annoyed he became. After a couple more tries, he sighed even harder, making an audible noise with it. He almost tossed the cigarette on the ground, but he put it back in the pack after aggressively taking it off his mouth. There was only two, after all. He should really try to calm down, besides, there would probably be a lot more to go through until he actually reached Smeerensburg.

After dodging a dead tree in the middle of the road, he rode down a little further and got into town, finally starting to see some people after so long. As he kept strolling, everyone would glance at him and frown, exchange whispers between them or just laugh, mostly looking at his postman hat, not even bothering to pretend or act casual about it.

What was the problem with those people?! Haven’t they seen a postman before? Jesper was so used to the city life that he became bothered by that very quickly, to a point where he even shot back “what are you staring at?!”, a couple of times.

In only a few minutes, the postman was approaching the sea and he spotted a ferryboat docked there. Well, at least one good thing to cross off his list: he wouldn't have to spend a whole day in that strange town waiting for the ferry. He was certain that Smeerensburg would be better than Viksengo. It had to be, surely.

After tying up his horse, Jesper left his hat on the carriage to prevent even more unwanted eyes and went to take cover from that treacherous wind under a shop front awning. He tried to lit up his cigarette once more. Succeeding this time, he took a long drag and breathe out the smoke through his nose while closing his eyes and nicely stretching his neck. He was starting to relax a bit and his butt could catch a break from sitting down for so damn long.

As he smoked, he observed the people passing by. His head was already missing the warmth from his hat and he soon began shivering lightly. Jesper knew he didn't have the proper winter clothes in his bag, and his heart was already pounding in fear of the upcoming weeks. Only after completing the mail quota that his father, the headmaster of the Royal Postal Service, assigned to him, he could be allowed to go back to the warmth of his big mansion, wrap himself in soft silk sheets and wait for his butler to bring him some croutons and a hot drink. That is, if he didn’t freeze to death before then.

He looked back at the shop he was standing in front of and saw the coats and boots on a stand, but the money his father gave him wouldn't be enough for any of that. If he bought a coat there, he wouldn't have any more money left for a whole month until his first paycheck as a postman, leaving him with nothing for the time being. He needed to buy food, after all, as well as pay for the ferry he was about to ride on. Also, some more cigarettes, of course.

When he finished smoking, he strolled around until finding a tobacco shop. The postman quickly went inside. An old man was sitting on a little stool there, but he kept silent as Jesper looked at the cigarette brands behind him.

The postman eventually asked, with a frown already, "are these _all_ the brands you got?". There were only cheap cigarettes and Jesper was really picky on what he would smoke.

The shopkeeper nodded his head, before taking a drag on his smoke pipe, ridden from Jesper’s sight at first. He never tried those before, but the smell was already a big indicator that he wouldn’t enjoy it. Not that kind, at least.

Touching his pocket where he knew there was only one cigarette left, the postman sneered, although, a little worried, "really? Nothing more... Refined?", hoping that the old man had a special collection on the back or something of the sort. If that was the case, it would be expensive, but he was willing to spend the little extra money in that moment of desperation.

The man just nodded a “no” and shamelessly laugh at him. Jesper narrowed his eyes and shot back "oh, forget it! I'll buy the ones I want in Smeerensburg", which only made the shopkeeper laugh even harder and choke on his smoke. After a few coughs, he finally said something before Jesper could walk out the door "good luck on that island, lad".

What in the world was that place?! Everyone was super weird, it was as cold as winter back in the city, even though it was still autumn, there were no good cigarettes to buy and now, he was going to have to spend crucial money with a damn ferry ride. Didn’t his father know all of this before sending him there? How was he supposed to survive in those circumstances? Jesper hugged himself really tight as he walked fast, trying to hold back the tears building up in his eyes.

He stopped abruptly as soon as he spotted a sign with the ferry schedule and gave a small smile of relief. Another good news about the ferry ride: the next trip was just in a few minutes and it would only take twenty minutes to get there, so it wasn't even that expensive either.

The postman walked back to the ferry in a rush, but no one seemed to be there, not a ferryman or anyone else waiting for the next ride, whatsoever. A small cabin close by could be seen from where Jesper was standing and he imagined it must’ve been where the local ferryman usually stayed, so he went to its direction. The wind was even more dreadful now and he feared he would be dragged out to the sea and be lost forever, but he made it to the cabin and took some cover, as much as he could.

Jesper soon landed his eyes on the man there wearing a fancy hat, sitting with his feet up and taking a little nap. That was definitely the ferryman he needed to talk to. Seeing that laziness, the postman rolled his eyes and cleared his throat, loudly, which made the man open his eyes a bit to look for the sound.

Mogens, the ferryman, was still scratching his eyes when he informed “end of the line, buddy. Follow your way straight and then take a right, turning back around the dead three. You're welcome".

Once Jesper noticed he was closing his eyes again, getting ready for another nap, he tapped the counter and raised his voice “ _hey!_ I'm not lost, ferryman. And your next ride is scheduled to departure in…”, he took a look at his watch and went on “seven minutes!”.

The man looked confused as he opened his eyes again and just stared at Jesper, that continued on with a sarcastic tone and non-genuine smile “you surely know your own schedule, don’t you? Cause I’m not the one who should…“.

He kept talking on and on, non-stop, but Mogens wasn’t paying much attention to it anymore. Instead, he just gazed back at Jesper standing there, wondering what on earth would bring a man like that to Viksengo of all places, that is, a well-dressed man, smelling like roses, with extremely clean nails on his counter and, of course, blue eyes like the ocean and blond hair bright as gold, although all very messy from the wind. He sure looked rich and handsome, but also, truly irritating and so full of himself. Who was he, that barely arrived, already wanting to give orders and tell the ferryman how to do his job?

Focusing back on what the blond man was blabbing about, he listened, "so... I need you to do your job for that. Any chance you might wanna get on that nice boat of yours today? That is your boat, isn’t not?”, he asked, pointing to the docks.

Jesper and Mogens simply stared at each other in a great deal of confusion for a moment. Jesper wasn’t sure if the man even listened to a word he said and Mogens was still perplexed with the attitude he was getting from that total stranger.

Impatient with the wait, the postman narrowed his eyes and sassed, while his hair kept flying all over his face “are we… Starting to connect the dots?". It was like he was trying to explain a very basic concept to a child, making hand gestures and all.

Jesper was ready to make even more clarifications, but the ferryman gave a sudden chuckle and raised a hand up "aight, aight, let me get this straight...". The postman quickly crossed his arms and looked at him with such contempt that made Mogens find all of that interaction even more comic.

The ferryman spoke, putting his feet down "so, you're here to work at the Smeerensburg post office, eh?". What a stupid question to make, from the look on the blond man’s face. Jesper sneered as he leaned on the counter again, making an expression like it was obvious. He told the man about his job already, even if he paid attention to it or not. "Yeah, that's usually where a postman works", Jesper said while raising his eyebrows.

Getting up from his seat, Mogens still had a subtle smile when they went face to face with each other, hands almost touching on that small counter. Jesper looked down and gave a step back, feeling uncomfortable with the ferryman’s piercing eyes on him. He gulped before going off again "so, are we doing this or what?". "We sure are", Mogens agreed while fixing his hat. Therefore, after getting the money for the ride, he stepped out the cabin.

They walked together to the docks in a terribly awkward silence and once they got there, Mogens motioned for the postman to move the carriage onto the ferry. Although Jesper knew he wasn’t much of a social person, he could tell that that man was trouble and he should probably stay away from him after they reached his destination. At that instant, he needed him, nonetheless.

The ferryman was untying the rope when Jesper came back out to ask, looking around "where's everyone?". Mogens gave out a laugh at the same second "everyone? It's just us two, sport. I know my schedule, but there's barely any trips around here. Not at the present time, at least". Jesper just hummed at that while Mogens passed through him, going straight up to his cabin.

After following the man in, they soon started sailing to Smeerensburg. It was tremendously cold up there, so cold that Jesper began to shake his jaw as he hugged himself, already thinking he should've bought that coat back in Viksengo, or at least some gloves. He would rather starve to death later than froze to death now, anyway. Besides, he could pawn his watch too, if it ever came to that point...

"Is it always this cold?", he fearfully asked the ferryman, trying to evaluate his chances of survival. Mogens mocked wryly "ah... We are having a bit of a _heat wave_ at the moment", which made Jesper swallow bitterly and keep his mouth shut, looking straight ahead at the sea. That man was such a jerk and he didn't feel like talking to him anymore.

But, after just a few seconds, Mogens tried to chat some more, “so, what's a pretty boy like you doing in a place like this? I’m sure there’s a nicer place for you to work, like… The post office from your own town?". Jesper turned back with a frown and argued, while rubbing his hands together “that's none of your concern”. Then, with an angrier tone, although a little lower, he stared back at the sea and said "and I’m not a boy. I’m a man".

He became mad so easily by people calling him a _boy_ like his father did. It was Mr. Johanssen’s way of showing how much of a letdown he was as a son. For his dad, Jesper was just a boy with no capability of doing anything useful or important on his own and he didn’t hold back when addressing it to him, as clear as he could be. Maybe that word could have a different meaning and intention when used by someone else, but the postman was only used to being called a boy to be apprehended on his behavior, regardless.

"Ok, _big man_ ", Mogens teased. He stared firmly at the postman, who was still looking straight forward and assured, with much conviction “yeah, you’re not that young, I can see the expression lines in the corner of your eyes”. Jesper suddenly seemed like he just came back to Earth on a meteor after traveling far away inside of his own head. He touched his face swiftly, apparently shaken up “ _what?!_ I don’t have expression lines!”, and the ferryman chuckled at how scared that made him feel, “I’m only joking. Chill out, champ”.

With a deep sigh, Jesper ran a hand through his messy hair in an extremely irritated manner. How could that man be so bold and arrogant?!

After a lingering silence that went on for what it felt like forever, the postman decided to lit up his last cigarette. Might as well, at that point. He went inside the cabin where the ferryman was handling the steering wheel so the wind wouldn’t get in his way much, however, Mogens urged fast as soon as he saw what the blond man was doing "hey, you can't do that!". Jesper stared back at the man mid-drag and just questionably hummed at him, not understanding what the problem was.

Then, he traced the ferryman's stare to his hand and asked "what? I can't smoke on this boat?". Clearly being a non-smoker, Mogens let him know, after a moment of hesitation “I don’t like the smell of it. Takes me back to times I rather forget”. Even though Jesper didn't actually care about knowing anything about that man, he could’t help but feeling curious.

Quickly, he went back to where he was standing before, outside of the cabin, and kept on smoking. He wasn’t going to throw his _last_ cigarette away, and he figured that was far enough from the ferryman’s nose.

All of the sudden, Mogens cleared his throat and adjusted his posture while mumbling “I don't even know why I told you that. Just… Forget about it”. That damn ferryman was so weird and needy. Things were starting to get intriguing, though.

In a really sarcastic way, Jesper said "maybe it’s ‘cause you have no friends to talk to about your tragic childhood". Mogens thought for a second that he should feel upset by that, but instead, he found it truly amusing and even laughed at the comment. He was still so impressed with the attitude of that fancy blond man. It was nice to be teased back once in a while and he kind of hoped that this postman would stick around for longer than a week, unlike the others. In the end, it would take much more than a comment like that to affect him at the slightest and he even felt excited about it: a new postman and a brand-new challenge.

Anyhow, the ferryman decided to change the topic “I like to drink, though. How about you? I’m sure we will be great drinking buddies”. Jesper simply assured, after letting out some smoke from his mouth "you wish", as he thought that once he got to Smeerensburg, he wouldn’t have to see that man ever again, apart from the day he would finally leave.

They were almost on the island when the ferryman curiously asked “who did you piss off to end up here?”, picking a soft spot on Jesper now. For his surprise, the blond man looked at him with murdering eyes, making Mogens even regret asking that "ok, no family talk, then. I know how it is". It was _that_ obvious it was family related? Jesper didn't care to ask. Instead, he just finished his smoke in silence as he waited for them to arrive at the docks.

“There she is, good old Smeerensburg. Charming, innit?”, the ferryman admired, holding an arm up towards the island. That was _by far_ the grayest, foggiest and coldest place Jesper had ever been to and he immediately thought it must’ve have been some sort of sick prank from the man. They must’ve just been making a quick stop at that creepy place to pick up more people, surely.

“Come again?!”, Jesper choked, before swallowing dry. After a tap on his back, Mogens made his way down, getting on with his work. While tying the rope at the dock, he assured “don’t worry, postman! You will love it here; all the friendly townspeople, the vibrant culture and, oh! The post office, of course. Wonderful place to work and live in”.

With the surliest tone possible, Jesper froze at his spot and demanded “take me back”. Mogens hated to admit to himself, but he felt rather disappointed at the request. Well, maybe he could mess a lot more with the next postman, or maybe the next one after that.

He came back up and stood next to the blond man, that said, still astonished about his new situation “this place is… Awful. I can barely feel my fingers already”. For some reason, Mogens had an urge to help and even to convince him to stay at least for a little while “easy does it. Don’t get me wrong, but you're exaggerating”; he looked down at Jesper’s hands, “and that’s cause you’re not wearing your gloves, postman. That will fix it”. With a mocked smile, he walked away and got into the carriage, shouting back “hop on in! I’ll give ya a tour”.

As they rode through town, the will to leave just kept on growing. At every corner, Jesper was startled by something different, like soulless little kids with dead eyes, people obviously dragging bodies around and nobody seeming to care, as well as arrows and spears literally everywhere he looked. _“Was that a town or a battlefield?!”_ , he wondered to himself.

They made a sudden stop in the town’s desolated square and the postman questioned “where is everyone, you know… To greet me?”, but Mogens just looked at him with the most puzzled expression. Jesper went on “I thought there would be some sort of reception…?”.

Pretty soon, a grin started to appear on the man’s face, who assured “oh, yes! You’re right. Of course there is a reception for you, buddy. You just have to let everyone know you’re here by ringing that bell over there”. Mogens pointed to an old bell stand right in the middle of the square, but Jesper was suspicious about it. Narrowing his eyes, he enquired “really?”, and Mogens touched his shoulder, already pushing him off the carriage “yes, really! Just go over there and ring it”.

After a huff, the postman walked towards the bell, looking back at the ferryman once he reached it. He was motioned to hurry up and, although a little hesitant still, he rang the bell. And hell was let loose.

Suddenly, there were people coming from all directions, each with a different weapon on hand, shouting and cursing really loudly. Jesper tried to hide behind the bell stand, but they got to him even so. He was tossed around like a wave, crashing and bumping into the crowd. It was chaos and he felt terrified. That was it, then. That is how he would die; buried under reckless crazy people in freaking Smeerensburg.

But, before closing his eyes and waiting for it to be over, he looked at his carriage to find that damn ferryman just sitting there, having a great laugh at it all. The postman was about to grab a spear that landed at his feet and throw at that man when a huge discussion started taking place.

“Oh, look who's finally throwing in the towel!”; “ _us?!_ You gotta be kidding me, _you_ are the one who rang the battle bell!”; “of course not, we came because _you_ rang the bell”, and they went on and on. What in the world was a battle bell and why did they even have one, in the first place? In any case, he could think about all that later! Jesper took advantage of the confusion and sneaked back to his carriage without being noticed. He was so angry with the ferryman, but he still needed him.

The postman shouted in a whisper “get me the hell out of here!”, and when he thought he was saved, a new rush of adrenaline ran through his body when Mogens yelled at the people arguing “relax, everyone. It’s just another postman”. Everyone sighed annoyingly or even laughed about it. Pretty soon, the crowd simply dispersed without any more words, to Jesper’s great surprise.

“What the _fuck_ was that?”, Jesper raged at Mogens, as the man took the reins again and started riding off. “Just a little fun between the townspeople; nothing to worry about”, the ferryman sassed, feeling proud of himself by the reaction he got. The postman’s heart was still racing from the fear he felt just a few minutes ago. How could that man have done that to him, on his first day, even? Didn’t he have any manners?! Of course not, he was just a _damn ferryman_ in a dreadful island cut out from the world.

Mogens tried to talk to him a few times on their way to the post office, but Jesper wasn’t saying anything anymore. Instead, he was thinking about how he could convince his father to let him work at the post office in the big city, at least. Mr. Johanssen would definitely reply to a nice written letter about it!

Very eager to do so, Jesper pulled out a piece of paper and a pencil from his bag and began working on a draft. The ferryman peaked at it, naturally, and just laughed at him, but decided not to make any comments.

When Jesper thought nothing else would surprise him in that place, they got to the _post office_. Was that really where he would have to work and live?! How come his father expected him to stay there in those conditions? Mr. Johanssen surely didn’t know about the state of the place, so Jesper quickly added that to his draft.

Mogens jumped off the carriage and stood next to the postman, while he wrote non-stop. Tired of waiting, the ferryman cleared his throat to get his attention ans asked “are you coming?”. With a roll of eyes, Jesper stepped out, still with his paper in hand.

The minute they walked inside, the postman’s mouth dropped as he learned that he had _a lot more_ to say to his father. From the outside, the post office already looked terrible, but inside…. It was just a total wreck. He raised the paper to a wall to write some more, but Mogens quickly grabbed it from his hands.

“Hey! Give me that, right now!”, Jesper shouted, trying to take it back. Mogens dodged him and said “can you pay attention for just a second, postman? Jeez”, but Jesper just pinched his brows even harder than before and tried taking it by force a few more times, until the ferryman quickly shoved the paper inside of his coat.

“What the _fuck_ are you doing?!”, the postman screamed; his face going full on red in anger. Instead of shouting back, Mogens decided to handle things a little differently, so he expressed in a pacific manner “just calm down a little, will ya? Let me show you around and I’ll be on my way”; he went on as Jesper crossed his arms, “and you can have your daddy’s letter after that, ok?”.

At first, Jesper just stared back at him, thinking about ways he could killed that man and hide the body. That sure seemed easy enough around that island, at least. Then, he sighed and gave shoulders, signaling for the man to get on with it. Mogens let out a breath and began the post office’s tour.

The furniture wasn’t so bad; the main issue was the holes all around the place. The paint was peeling off the walls and it smelled really musty and damp. Furthermore, it was tremendously dark and cold. The room above where he would sleep was full of cobwebs and cracks on the walls, besides the big holes on the ceiling.

 _“My god”_ , the postman whispered with a grimace of disgust, making the ferryman hold back a laugh.

Returning downstairs, Mogens explained how the postman’s job worked around there, telling him that the outgoing mail was _his own task_ , and that he would come to collet that every couple of days or so, which made Jesper roll his eyes and sigh hard without even bothering to disguise it.

The place was freezing and wet with rain from God knows when, so Jesper just made even more mental notes to write to his father later. He looked around for a fireplace and as he landed his eyes on it, he already knew it would be impossible to light it at the state it was in; all soaked and muddy, basically, a real mess. A renovation would cost a lot of money! How would he manage that?! The amount he had on him at that moment wasn’t enough for anything he needed, at least not like he wanted it.

So… He was about to starve, as well as freeze to death in Smeerensburg, after all. “Great”, he said out loud.

Mogens gave Jesper's paper back to him and the postman promptly asked, taking it with great disdain “so, when can we leave?”. It wasn’t that surprising to know that the postman didn’t like the place. Any person, rich or not, could see that it was in terrible conditions. What else could the ferryman do? Mogens then decided to ask, pointing to the letter “you’re not even gonna wait for your father’s reply?”.

After a quick glance at the paper, Jesper crossed his arms and assured, with his head up “I can say all I need in person. He will agree with me”, however, he had no conviction on what he was saying, whatsoever. His father would never take him back after just _half a day_ there. Mr. Johanssen was very clear about that being the last chance for Jesper to prove himself worthy of the family's name and fortune.

Mogens scratched his head and spoke “Ok, then… You think things through. Next ferry back to the mainland is in two days, anyway”.

 _“Two days?!”_ , Jesper lamented in shock, “how am I supposed to stay in a place falling apart for two whole days?”. He ran a hand through his face and went on, trying to organize his thoughts, “no, no, no, you can take me to a hotel then, where I can at least have a nice and hot bath. Also, I need a proper meal. So, you can show me the best restaurant in town, for that matter”.

Immediately, Mogens raised his eyebrows, bit his lips and nodded, while trying even harder to prevent a laugh now. Then, he simply walked towards the exit, and before Jesper could follow him out, he shut the door behind him almost completely, trapping the blond man inside. The ferryman tried to explain as clear as he could, while holding the door handle “look here, postman, I’m not your personal concierge, alright? And you are stuck here for at least two days, whether you like it or not. If you end up actually working here for real, you should probably start getting used to this place. At least is a free roof over ya head… Well, sort of. At the end of the day, you still need money to leave Smeerensburg, like everyone else. You’re here to work as a postman, which will give you that money. Are we starting to connect the dots?”.

After a huge grin of satisfaction, he fully shut the door, not even bothering to listen to what comeback Jesper could came up with.

Things were just getting worse by the minute. It wasn’t bad enough that the postman would have to face extreme cold soon, crazy townspeople and a precarious living situation, but he would also have to see that detestable ferryman _every couple of days!_ That man would surely be his doom on that godforsaken island...

Jesper sat down on the chair by the main table and just stared at the closed door in front of him. All he could think about at that instant was his nice silk sheets and relaxing bubble baths waiting for him back at his house in the big city. What more could he wish for in life that would be better than that?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A quick note after 2 months of this fic being completed...]
> 
> It's Christmas day today and I rewatched the movie for the first time after writing this fic and, well.. There's a few stuff that doesn't match lmao, but I won't stress too much over it, since it's just some details (which is fine, being fanfiction work, anyway). But, one thing really bothered me (for some reason, I never noticed it before!!), that was the spelling of the "Johanssen" name. So, that is fixed now!
> 
> If there's anything else that's weird in some major way, pls, let me know, but any kind of comments are welcome, anyhow..  
> Thank you so much for the ones who commented already and if you also liked this fic, I'd love to read your opinion, too! Knowing what you guys thought of it makes it all worth it ♥


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